Jonathan Conricus

The United States, Britain, and France have issued advisories urging their citizens to avoid travel to Iran, Lebanon, Israel, and the Palestinian territories in the coming days. This caution follows Iran's threat of retaliation after an Israeli airstrike targeted the Iranian consulate in Syria a week and a half ago.

Israel said its armed forces were increasingly focused on Hamas targets in south Gaza Sunday, as the United States again pressed its ally to do more to protect Palestinian civilians.

Signalling a pivot after weeks of intensive fighting around Gaza City, the Israeli army said troops were now looking to the Hamas stronghold of Khan Yunis and elsewhere in the south.

Israel carried out deadly bombardments in Gaza for a second day on Saturday after a week-long truce with Hamas collapsed despite international calls for an extension.

Clouds of grey smoke from the strikes hung over Gaza, where the Hamas-run health ministry said nearly 200 people had been killed since the pause in hostilities expired early Friday.

The ground troops of Israel Defence Forces struck over 450 Hamas targets on Sunday, taking control of a Hamas military compound in the Gaza Strip, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Underground terror tunnels, observation points, and training grounds for Hamas operatives were all located within the compound.

Israel on Monday pounded Gaza with "significant" strikes as soldiers battled Hamas forces in the besieged territory, ignoring ceasefire calls by UN aid agencies who condemned surging civilian deaths in the month-long conflict.

A barrage of Israeli airstrikes leveled apartment buildings in a refugee camp near Gaza City on Tuesday, with rescuers clawing through the destruction to pull men, women and children from the rubble. Israel said the strike, which targeted a senior Hamas military leader, destroyed a militant command center and an underground tunnel network.

Israel has launched what it calls "an operation to expose and neutralise" tunnels between Lebanon and Israel allegedly dug by armed group Hezbollah, reported Al Jazeera. 

The operation was announced by the Israeli military on Twitter on Tuesday. 

An Israeli F-16 fighter jet crashed after Syria responded with anti-aircraft fire to an Israeli operation in its territory. Syria says its military base came under Israeli fire, and it hit multiple aircraft in response.

"Massive Syrian Anti-Air fire, one F16 crashed in Israel, pilots safe," IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus said on Twitter.