Israeli strike in northern Gaza kills at least 60, officials say, as Hezbollah announces new leader

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip -- An Israeli onslaught connected a five-story building wherever displaced Palestinians were sheltering in nan bluish Gaza Strip killed astatine slightest 60 group early Tuesday, much than half of them women and children, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.

In a abstracted development, Lebanon's militant group Hezbollah said it has chosen Sheikh Naim Kassem to win longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed successful an Israeli airstrike past month. Hezbollah vowed to proceed pinch Nasrallah’s policies “until triumph is achieved.”

Israel besides faced backlash aft passing authorities that could severely restrict nan expertise of nan U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees to run successful nan Palestinian territories. The agency, known arsenic UNRWA, is nan largest assistance supplier successful Gaza. Israel has agelong accused it of militant ties, allegations it denies.

A spokesperson for nan U.N. children's agency said nan determination “means that a caller measurement has been recovered to termination children.”

Hezbollah said successful a connection that its decision-making Shura Council elected Kassem, who had been Nasrallah's lawman leader for complete 3 decades, arsenic nan caller secretary-general.

Kassem, 71, a founding personnel of nan militant group established pursuing Israel's 1982 penetration of Lebanon, had been serving arsenic acting leader. He has fixed respective televised speeches vowing that Hezbollah will conflict connected contempt a drawstring of setbacks.

Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel, drafting retaliation, aft Hamas’ astonishment onslaught retired of Gaza connected Oct. 7, 2023, triggered nan warfare there. Iran, which backs some groups, has besides directly traded occurrence pinch Israel, successful April and past again this month.

The tensions pinch Hezbollah boiled complete successful September, arsenic Israel unleashed a activity of dense airstrikes and killed Nasrallah and astir of his elder commanders. Israel launched a crushed penetration into Lebanon astatine nan commencement of October.

Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets into bluish Israel connected Tuesday, sidesplitting astatine slightest 1 personification successful nan bluish metropolis of Maalot-Tarshiha, authorities said.

Even arsenic attraction has shifted to Lebanon and Iran successful caller weeks, Israel has continued to costs a ample cognition successful bluish Gaza and to transportation retired airstrikes crossed nan territory.

Dr. Marwan al-Hams, head of nan section hospitals’ section astatine nan Gaza Health Ministry, announced nan toll from Tuesday’s onslaught successful nan bluish municipality of Beit Lahiya astatine a news conference. He said different 17 group are missing.

The ministry's emergency work said astatine slightest 12 women and 20 children were among nan dead, including babies. The dormant included a mother and her 5 children, immoderate of them adults, and a 2nd mother pinch her six children, according to an first casualty database provided by nan emergency service.

There was nary contiguous remark from nan Israeli military, which has been waging nan cognition successful bluish Gaza for much than 3 weeks, targeting what it says are pockets of Hamas militants who person regrouped there.

Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, nan head of nan adjacent Kamal Adwan Hospital, said it was overwhelmed by nan activity of wounded group from nan strike. Israeli forces raided nan aesculapian installation complete nan weekend, detaining dozens of medics.

The subject said it detained scores of Hamas militants successful nan ambush connected Kamal Adwan, nan latest successful a bid of raids connected hospitals since nan commencement of nan war.

The Israeli subject has many times struck shelters for displaced group successful caller months, saying it carried retired precise strikes targeting Palestinian militants and tried to debar harming civilians. The strikes person often killed women and children.

Israel's latest awesome cognition successful bluish Gaza, focused connected nan Jabaliya exile camp, has killed hundreds of group and driven tens of thousands from their homes successful another activity of wide displacement much than a twelvemonth into nan warfare successful nan mini coastal territory.

On Tuesday, nan subject said 4 much soldiers were killed successful nan fighting successful bluish Gaza, bringing nan toll since nan commencement of nan cognition to 16, including a colonel. The subject says it has killed dozens of militants, without providing evidence, while Hamas does not publicize its losses.

Israel has besides sharply restricted assistance to nan northbound this month, prompting a informing from nan United States that nonaccomplishment to facilitate greater humanitarian assistance could lead to a simplification successful subject aid.

Palestinians fearfulness Israel is enacting a scheme projected by a group of erstwhile generals, who suggested nan civilian organization of nan northbound should beryllium ordered to evacuate, assistance supplies should beryllium trim off, and anyone remaining location should beryllium considered a militant.

The subject has denied carrying retired specified a plan, while nan authorities has not made a clear connection astir it.

On Monday, Israel's parliament passed 2 laws that prohibition UNRWA from operating connected Israeli ungraded and trim each ties pinch nan agency. Israel controls entree to some Gaza and nan occupied West Bank, and it was unclear really nan agency would proceed to run there.

Israel says UNRWA has been infiltrated by Hamas and that nan militant group siphons disconnected assistance and uses U.N. accommodation to shield its activities, allegations denied by nan U.N. agency.

Aid groups person warned that location is nary contiguous replacement for UNRWA, which provides education, wellness attraction and emergency assistance to millions of Palestinian refugees from the 1948 warfare surrounding Israel's creation and their descendants. Refugee families dress up nan mostly of Gaza's population.

James Elder, a spokesperson for nan U.N. children's agency, known arsenic UNICEF, said nan suspension of UNRWA's activity “would apt spot nan illness of nan humanitarian strategy successful Gaza." He said UNICEF “would go efficaciously incapable to administer lifesaving supplies.”

He said that would impede deliveries of vaccines, wintertime clothes, hygiene kits, wellness kits, water, and ready-to-use therapeutic nutrient to combat malnutrition.

The warfare successful Gaza began erstwhile Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, sidesplitting immoderate 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting astir 250. Some 100 hostages are still wrong Gaza, a 3rd of whom are believed to beryllium dead.

Israel's retaliatory violative has killed complete 43,000 Palestinians, according to section wellness authorities. Around 90% of nan organization of 2.3 cardinal person been displaced from their homes, often aggregate times.

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Magdy reported from Cairo and Mroue from Beirut. Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg successful Tel Aviv, Israel, and Jamey Keaten successful Geneva contributed to this report.

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