Israeli arstrike hits Gaza mosque killing 19 amid escalating conflict with Hamas, Hezbollah

A Palestinian man walks past a damaged shop along a street torn up by Israeli bulldozers in Jenin. Pic/AFP

An Israeli attack on a mosque in the Gaza Strip early Sunday killed at least 19 people, according to Palestinian sources. The strike comes as Israel intensifies its shelling of northern Gaza and southern Beirut amid a growing confrontation with Iran-backed militant groups in the region.

Nearly a year after the October 7 incident, Israel is still fighting Hamas in Gaza, as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon, with whom it has exchanged fire along the border since the Gaza conflict started. Following Iran's ballistic missile attack on Israel last week, the nation has committed to retaliate immediately against Iran, reported the Associated Press.

According to the report, this escalating war risks involving the United States, which has supplied critical military and diplomatic backing to Israel, as well as US-allied Arab nations that host American personnel. Iran-backed organisations in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen have also launched long-range strikes against Israel.

Strikes Across Gaza and New Evacuation Orders

The strike targeted a mosque in Gaza, where displaced residents took refuge near a hospital in Deir al-Balah. Israeli soldiers claimed they bombed a Hamas command hub embedded among civilians, but gave no proof to back up their allegation. An Associated Press writer counted 19 deaths in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital mortuary, all of whom were men, with one reportedly injured, the AP report stated.

Per the news agency report, Israeli soldiers also began a new air and ground offensive in Jabaliya, a highly populated refugee camp in northern Gaza. Israeli soldiers have frequently attacked Jabaliya, only for the militants to regroup. In anticipation of more conflict, Israel has issued additional evacuation orders for northern Gaza, ordering civilians to go south into designated "humanitarian zones." Despite this, up to 300,000 civilians remain in the area, living in horrible conditions.

The Israeli military reported that it had encircled Jabaliya, with aeroplanes striking insurgent positions ahead of a ground assault. Leaflets were distributed, informing people that the region is now a "dangerous combat zone." Despite the development of humanitarian zones, many civilians remain trapped in the fighting, with strikes hitting residential buildings throughout northern Gaza, the Associated Press report stated.

Gaza's death toll has risen to nearly 42,000, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Many of the victims were women and children. Hamas militants killed over 1,200 people during their October 7 attack on Israel and continue to hold 100 captives, some of whom are believed to be dead.

Heavy Bombardment of Southern Beirut

Israeli airstrikes illuminated Beirut's night sky, with explosions reverberating throughout the southern suburbs known as Dahiyeh. Israel's strikes apparently targeted Hezbollah positions, including a building near Beirut's international airport and a facility previously used by Hezbollah's Al-Manar television station.

Israel's military said it had launched strikes on sites near Beirut, claiming that approximately 30 missiles had crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory. Hezbollah claimed to have successfully hit Israeli forces in northern Israel with a "large rocket salvo." However, it has not been independently verified, the AP report added.

Since the conflict began, at least 1,400 people have died in Lebanon, including civilians, medics, and Hezbollah fighters, and more than a million have been displaced. Israel has claimed that its goal is to force Hezbollah back from its border, allowing thousands of Israeli citizens to return home. The ongoing battle between Israel and Hezbollah is the worst since the 2006 war.

Iran has also threatened more punishment, with foreign minister Abbas Araghchi claiming that efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon are ongoing. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on the other hand, has reiterated Israel's right to self-defence, threatening to resume airstrikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon.