The death toll from Israeli airstrikes in eastern Lebanon has risen to at least 24, Lebanese news agency Ani reported, citing The Guardian. Several locations in the Bekaa Valley were hit by four airstrikes.

In southern Lebanon, Israeli warplanes fired missiles at two buildings near the Imam Hussein compound in the city of Tyre. Other strikes hit several locations in the south of the country, including a house in the Arab Salim area, according to the Lebanese daily L’Orient Le Jour.

A senior United Nations official has warned that the historic cities of Tyre and Baalbek are in grave danger from Israeli bombing. Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN special coordinator for Lebanon, expressed concern for the cultural heritage of these ancient Phoenician cities, stressing that they must not become victims of this conflict.

The United States has called on Lebanon to declare a unilateral ceasefire with Israel to revive the broken-down negotiations between Israel and Hezbollah. This request was reportedly made by US envoy Amos Hochstein to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, but the latter denied that such a proposal had been made.

In a separate attack in the Gaza Strip, at least 10 Palestinians were killed while standing at the entrance to a school for displaced persons in Nuseirat camp. In addition, 47 Palestinians were reported dead and many injured, mostly women and children, in night raids. The attacks targeted the town of Deir al-Balah and other surrounding areas.

Israel has declared a state of high readiness for possible retaliation from Iran after recent attacks on Iranian missile facilities. According to Israeli military sources, such operations have created a dilemma for Tehran regarding its ability to respond.

Israel’s ban on UNRWA has been described as a “death sentence” for millions of starving Palestinians in war-torn Gaza, with the claims coming from UN officials who warn of dire consequences for the local population.

Finally, the Israeli Air Force intercepted a drone from Syria and recorded several rockets from Lebanon, some of which were shot down while others fell in uninhabited areas. Air strikes on the southern outskirts of Beirut have already caused casualties and injuries among the civilian population.