Israeli shelling claims lives of 9 Palestinians in Gaza

Airstrikes in Southern Lebanon kill eight Hezbollah fighters and child, escalating fears of regional conflict

At least nine Palestinians, including two children and a woman, were killed early on Saturday by Israeli shelling in Gaza's Khan Younis and the Al-Nuseirat camp area, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. The attacks also left at least 15 people injured.

Israel has issued fresh evacuation orders for residents in northern Gaza amid ongoing intense strikes across the north, centre, and south of the region. The shelling targeted two houses in southern Khan Younis, leading to the reported casualties.

In a separate incident, the Israeli military raided a home in Nablus, West Bank, belonging to a relative of a Palestinian man accused of attempting a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv on August 18. The perpetrator died when the bomb detonated prematurely, injuring a bystander. Hamas claimed responsibility for the bombing, stating it was conducted in cooperation with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and promising more such attacks.

In related news, Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Friday killed at least eight Hezbollah fighters and a child, as Hezbollah responded with artillery and rockets. Tensions between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah have been escalating along the southern Lebanese border, raising concerns about a potential full-scale regional conflict.

Six Hezbollah fighters were killed in various locations in southern Lebanon, while another was killed near Aitarun. A separate strike in Aita, a village approximately 14 km north of Israel's border, claimed the lives of a Hezbollah fighter and a child. The fighter killed in Aita was identified as Mohammad Najem by Hezbollah.