Israel kills 8 in Lebanon. 4 in Palestine

Four Palestinians, including a teenager, were killed by Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, amid calls for the United States to help end civilian suffering in the enclave and ensure sufficient humanitarian aid delivery, reported Xinhua.

Palestinian medical sources said a 13-year-old Palestinian boy was killed and two others were wounded in an Israeli airstrike in the Beit Lahia area of northern Gaza.

In a separate incident, medical sources rescue teams recovered the body of a man killed by Israeli forces stationed near the border fence in the town of Al-Qarara, northeast of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Moreover, ambulance crews recovered the bodies of two Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in al-Mawasi area, west of Rafah, who were identified as aid truck drivers.

The Israeli army did not immediately comment on these developments.

Since the ceasefire agreement came into effect on Oct. 10, 2025, Israeli attacks have killed 883 Palestinians and wounded 2,648 others, according to Gaza-based health authorities.

The death toll since Oct. 7, 2023, has risen to 72,775, with 172,750 wounded.

Meanwhile, the Civil Defense Authority in Gaza called on the United States to intensify international efforts to end the suffering of civilians in the enclave.

In a letter to the U.S. president, Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said, "What is happening on the ground -- Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement brokered and supported by you -- and the accompanying tragic scenes, confirm that this suffering has not ended and that the humanitarian catastrophe continues in multiple forms."

He called on the U.S. administration to exert pressure on Israel to fully comply with the terms of the agreement and stop the ongoing humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip.

The people of Gaza "are only asking for their natural right to life, security, and dignity," he said.

Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes and shelling on several towns in southern Lebanon killed at least eight people and wounded several others on Thursday, while Hezbollah announced retaliatory attacks against Israeli military positions.

An Israeli airstrike on the town of Doueir killed five people and wounded two others after warplanes struck the al-Barakeh neighborhood, according to the Lebanese National News Agency.

In a separate strike, an Israeli air raid near a government hospital in the southern town of Tebnine killed two people and wounded another, the agency reported.

A hostile drone also struck a motorcycle in the southern village of Froun in southern Lebanon, killing its driver.

Hezbollah later said it launched a series of retaliatory attacks against Israeli troop and vehicle gatherings in the towns of Rshaf and Debel using rocket salvos.

Separately, Hezbollah's military wing issued a message to the group's leader Naim Qassem, pledging to continue operations against Israeli forces and reaffirming loyalty to the group's leadership and resistance strategy.

Lebanon's Health Ministry said that the cumulative death toll from the conflict since March 2, when the latest round of fighting began, has risen to 3,089, with 9,397 others wounded.

A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect at midnight between April 16 and 17. On April 23, Washington said Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend the ceasefire by three weeks. Last week, Washington said the two sides agreed to extend the ceasefire for another 45 days.

Despite the truce, Israel has continued carrying out strikes in Lebanon, while Hezbollah has also launched attacks on northern Israel and Israeli military positions in southern Lebanon.