Israeli military

Concern grew on Friday for civilians trapped by fighting around Khan Yunis in Gaza's south, with the top U.N. court set to rule in a case against Israel over alleged genocidal acts in its campaign against Hamas.

The Israeli army bombarded Khan Yunis, the new epicentre of the war in Gaza, on Monday as the families of hostages held by Hamas urged  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a deal to secure their release.

Witnesses reported deadly strikes overnight in Khan Yunis, the largest city in southern Gaza, and fierce fighting between Israeli soldiers and Hamas militants.

The Israeli military's ground offensive in the Gaza Strip has concentrated on Khan Younis, the second-largest city in the region. Israeli forces claim to have discovered a tunnel in Khan Younis where hostages are being held by the Islamist group Hamas.

An Israeli strike on the Syrian capital on Saturday destroyed a building used by the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, killing at least five Iranians, Syrian and Iranian state media reported.

These details and new information about the tunnels underscore why the tunnels were considered a major threat to the Israeli military

Israel bombarded southern Gaza on Friday after it publicly sparred with its main ally the United States over the possibility of a Palestinian state, the creation of which Washington sees as the only pathway to a lasting peace.

Amidst heightened tensions in the region, Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted the Red Sea port city of Eilat, prompting Israel to activate air raid sirens and respond with defensive measures. Explosions were reported near Eilat, with the Israeli military confirming the firing of an interceptor missile in response to the attack.

Officials in Hamas-run Gaza said on Monday dozens were killed overnight in "intense" Israeli bombardment, as the war which has sent shockwaves across the region passed the grim 100-day milestone.

Rockets were fired last night from Gaza towards southern Israel.

In response, the Israel Defense Forces said they had destroyed two missile sites in central Gaza.

A tunnel shaft with explosive devices was also destroyed, killing several "terrorists" in Khan Yunis.

Palestinian news agency Wafa reports attacks on Gaza City with 20 killed.

The two Al Jazeera journalists killed in one of the Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday were "terrorist operatives" linked to the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad, the Israeli military said, quoted by AFP.