UN says 'nightmare in Gaza intensifying' as 87 killed in Israeli airstrike

Israeli strikes hit the northern town of Beit Lahia overnight, as ITV News Correspondent Peter Smith reports

The UN has warned that the "nightmare in Gaza is intensifying" after at least 87 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the north of the country.

Women and children were among those killed in the strike which hit the city of Beit Lahia overnight, the strip's Hamas-run authorities said.

Raheem Kheder, a medic in Gaza, said the strike flattened a multistory building and at least four neighbouring houses.

The number of dead could rise as casualties are found in the rubble of collapsed buildings.

The Israeli military said it carried out a strike on a Hamas target. It said the area was an active war zone and it was trying to avoid harming civilians.

The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Peace Process in the Middle East, Tor Wennesland, in a statement expressed horror at the airstrike, saying that “the nightmare in Gaza is intensifying."

“Horrifying scenes are unfolding in the northern Strip amidst conflict, relentless Israeli strikes and an ever-worsening humanitarian crisis,” Wennesland said, adding that “civilians must be protected wherever they are.”

Fighting continued on Sunday morning in southern Lebanon as well as the south of Beirut. Israel has claimed it was targeting Hezbollah positions.

The Lebanese army said three soldiers were killed in an Israeli strike on their vehicle in southern Lebanon. There was no immediate comment on that from the Israeli military, which said it struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in the past day and continued ground operations there. It comes after a home owned by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was targeted in a drone attack on Saturday.

Netanyahu and his family were not at their house in Caesarea when the drone attack struck, and there were no casualties.

Israel’s military said some 180 projectiles were fired throughout Saturday from Lebanon. Some of the drones were intercepted but one got through and hit a building in the area.

"This will not deter me or the State of Israel from continuing our just war against our enemies in order to secure our future," Netanyahu said.

"Anyone who tries to harm Israel’s citizens will pay a heavy price."

Hezbollah did not claim responsibility for the drone attack but said it carried out several rocket attacks on northern and central Israel.

Israel carried out at least ten airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs known as Dahiyeh, a heavily populated area home to Hezbollah's offices. Israel's military said it was looking into the reported strikes.

Israel also said it had killed Hezbollah’s deputy commander in the southern town of Bint Jbeil, in Lebanon. The IDF said Nasser Rashid supervised attacks against Israel.

Israel's war with Hezbollah has intensified in recent weeks after the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah by an Israeli airstrike in September.

Hezbollah said it planned to launch a new phase of fighting by sending more guided missiles and exploding drones into Israel.

Since Israel killed Hamas’ leader Yahya Sinwar, Hamas has reiterated its stance that the hostages they took from Israel a year ago will not be released until there is a ceasefire in Gaza and a withdrawal of Israeli troops.

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Netanyahu said his country’s military will keep fighting until the hostages are released, and will remain in Gaza to prevent a severely weakened Hamas from rearming.

On Saturday, Israel dropped leaflets in southern Gaza showing Sinwar dead in a chair, with blood running down his forehead.

"Sinwar destroyed your lives," said the leaflet seen by The Associated Press. "Whoever lays down his weapons and returns the kidnapped people to us, we will allow him to leave and live in peace."

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