Israel Strikes Gaza, Destroys Mosque

Israel struck Central Gaza's Nuseirat, destroying a mosque and the residential square surrounding it and injuring dozens, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.

Palestinians were seen rummaging through the rubble of the damaged area, some clearing it and some probing for belongings.

Israeli forces pounded areas in the central Gaza Strip, killing at least nine Palestinians, according to health officials, while Israeli tanks carried out a limited advance further into Rafah in the south.

Israel vowed to eradicate Hamas after its militants killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostage in an attack on southern Israeli communities on October 7, according to Israeli tallies.

Hezbollah launched up to 150 rockets in these attacks over a period of 24 hours, which is an increase in attacks. The areas targeted included Kiryat Shmona and Mount Meron and also areas near Nahariya.

Israel said airstrikes had struck 25 targets throughout the Gaza Strip during the past day and that troops were continuing to operate in the central area, including to dismantle structures used to observe the soldiers.

Nine months into the war, Palestinian fighters led by the Islamist Hamas group are still able to attack Israeli forces with anti-tank rockets, and mortar bombs and from time to time fire barrages of rockets into Israel.

The military said it had eliminated half of the leadership of Hamas' military wing, with about 14,000 fighters killed or captured since the start of the war.

A total of 38,794 Palestinians have been killed and 89,364 have been injured in Israeli military offensives on Gaza since Oct. 7, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement.

Some 81 Palestinians were killed and 198 injured in the past 24 hours, the ministry added.