At least nine Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes that hit several homes in the northern Gaza towns of Jabaliya and Beit Lahiya and Rafah in the south. The airstrikes targeted a home of the Al-Najjar family in Jabaliya, killing three civilians and wounding others, Wafa news agency reported. A subsequent airstrike took place in Beit Lahiya, killing five more people and wounding others. In Rafah, one Palestinian was killed and two were injured by an Israeli drone strike, highlighting the escalation of violence in the region.

Israeli forces have sealed off Jabaliya from Gaza City in a weeks-long operation. During this offensive, the military has taken control of the area and allowed civilians to leave through passages monitored by facial recognition technology to prevent the escape of suspected terrorists. So far, some 600 alleged Hamas members have been detained for questioning by authorities.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military urged civilians near four buildings in Baalbek, eastern Lebanon, to evacuate in preparation for attacks on Hezbollah. The IDF spokesperson said the operations were imminent and urged the public to keep their distance from the locations.

The commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the resistance movement will respond forcefully to perceived threats. Hossein Salami expressed Iran’s determination to support resistance forces in the fight against Israel and the United States in the region.

The Israeli military also reported that about ten rockets were fired from Lebanon toward northern Israel, with some intercepted by air defenses while other missiles fell in non-populated areas.

In a separate incident, Israeli air strikes on Jabaliya killed at least three people. In addition, the Israeli air force eliminated two Hezbollah commanders in Lebanon. The executive director of UNICEF condemned recent attacks in northern Gaza that reportedly killed more than 50 children.

Earlier in the day, a UNICEF vehicle was hit by a drone while in Jabaliya, although no one was injured in the incident. This event was condemned as part of the growing indiscriminate violence against civilians in the region. Finally, the United States has deployed B-52 bombers to the Middle East as part of its strategy to address potential Iranian threats in the area.