Israel escalated its bombing of northern Gaza and southern Beirut amid concerns about an intensification of conflict in the region with Iran and its military proxy groups, including Hezbollah and Hamas.
Palestinian officials said this weekend that an Israeli attack on a mosque killed at least 19 people, The Associated Press reported, noting that the mosque was adjacent to a hospital and served as a shelter for displaced people.
The AP also reported that a second nearby attack on a school killed four people.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said the mosque functioned as a Hezbollah command center and was “used to plan and carry out terrorist attacks against Israel… in defiance of the laws of armed conflict.”
The IDF said it had sent notices to residents before the strike and had spoken to “key parties” in the areas to warn them.
“The IDF has made great efforts to prevent damage to uninvolved civilians and civilian infrastructure, in contrast to the cynical use of civilian infrastructure by the terrorist organization Hezbollah,” the IDF said. said in a statement.
An AP journalist counted the bodies at the mortuary of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, according to the news service, which reported that all the people counted were men, citing hospital records.
The latest development comes amid an ever-increasing battle Israel faces with Hamas in Gaza and with Hezbollah in the north. Hezbollah has bombarded Israel with airstrikes over the past year, driving out the Israeli population in the north. Israel has recently stepped up its engagement with Hezbollah, opening a new front in the war along the border with Lebanon.
After Tehran launched a ballistic missile attack on Israel last week, Israel has vowed to attack Iran itself.
The Associated Press contributed.
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