Israel threatens to step up Gaza strikes

Israel warned Wednesday that it will intensify its strikes in Gaza if Hamas keeps up its rocket fire, as Palestinian rescuers reported dozens of deaths from Israeli strikes on the first day of the New Year.

Over the past week, Palestinian militants have repeatedly fired rockets at Israel, particularly from northern Gaza, where the Israeli military is conducting a major offensive.

The rockets have caused little damage and have been fired in far smaller numbers than in the early stages of the war, but they have been a political blow for the Israeli government after nearly 15 months of fighting.

"I want to send a clear message from here to the heads of the terrorists in Gaza: If Hamas does not soon allow the release of the Israeli hostages from Gaza... and continues firing at Israeli communities, it will face blows of an intensity not seen in Gaza for a long time," Defence Minister Israel Katz said.

His warning came after a visit to the Israeli town of Netivot, which was recently targeted by rocket fire from nearby Gaza.

Militants are still holding 96 hostages seized during their October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, and successive rounds of negotiations for their release and a ceasefire have all failed.

Israeli strikes continued across Gaza on Wednesday.

"The world welcomed the New Year with celebrations and festivities, while we witnessed 2025 begin with the first Israeli massacre in the town of Jabalia just after midnight," Gaza's civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP.

"Fifteen people were martyred and more than 20 were injured" in the strike on a house where displaced people were living, he said.

The Israeli military told AFP it had "eliminated" several Hamas militants operating "within a...