Israeli air strike on Gaza residential building kills at least 73 people, officials say

Reports of further casualities under the rubble of several houses and a multistorey residential building in the town of Beit Lahiya

Thick smoke billows over buildings following an Israeli air strike on Beirut's southern suburb of Haret Hreik. Photograph: ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images
Thick smoke billows over buildings following an Israeli air strike on Beirut's southern suburb of Haret Hreik. Photograph: ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images

An Israeli air strike in northern Gaza hit several houses and a multistorey residential building in the town of Beit Lahiya, killing at least 73 people, officials said.

The Hamas media office said at least 73 people had been killed. There were also reports of more potential casualties trapped under rubble in the densely populated area.

The Israeli military said it was looking into the incident but claimed the numbers issued by the Hamas media office were exaggerated.

Palestinian health officials said rescue operations were being hampered by the cut-off telecommunication and internet services that have been down for a second day.

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Elsewhere, Binyamin Netanyahu’s house in the seaside town of Caesarea was hit by a drone on Saturday, causing superficial damage and no casualties.

Neither Mr Netanyahu nor his wife, Sara, were home at the time.

“The attempt by Iran’s proxy Hizbullah to assassinate me and my wife today was a grave mistake,” Mr Netanyahu said in a statement, vowing that Iran and its proxies would “pay a heavy price”.

Two Israeli air strikes targeted south Beirut early on Sunday, Lebanese state media reports.

“Enemy [Israeli] airplanes carried out two strikes this morning on Beirut’s southern suburbs, one of them hitting a residential building in Haret Hreik” near a mosque and a hospital, the National news agency reported.

There were no immediate details of casualties or property damage.

Israel said its air force on Sunday had attacked Hizbullah’s intelligence headquarters and an underground workshop for the production of weapons in Beirut.

The Israeli army ordered civilians located near buildings it claimed were “affiliated with Hizbullah” in two neighbourhoods in south Beirut to immediately evacuate early this morning.

G7 defence ministers have expressed their concern over Israel’s latest attacks on Unifil in Lebanon. The group, which has been meeting in Naples, Italy, said: “We are concerned by the latest events in Lebanon and the risk of further escalation. We express concern over all threats to Unifil’s security.”

The US government is investigating an alleged leak about classified US intelligence on Israel’s strikes against Iran, CNN reports.

CNN reports that the documents which date from October 15th and 16th started circulating on Friday on Telegram through an account called the Middle East Spectator.

The investigation is also examining how the documents were obtained – including whether it was an intentional leak by a member of the US intelligence community or obtained by another method, like a hack – and whether any other intelligence information was compromised, the Associated Press reports. – Guardian