US beefs up Mid-East military assets as Israel pounds Gaza

Israel also targets Syrian airports, while clashes along border with Lebanon intensify

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Fears over the risk of the Israel-Hamas war mushrooming into a wider Middle East conflict rose on Sunday, with Washington warning of a significant risk to United States’ interests in the region as ally Israel pounded Gaza and clashes on its border with Lebanon intensified.

Gaza’s health ministry said 266 Palestinians, including 117 children, had been killed by Israeli air strikes in the past 24 hours in the enclave, to which Israel laid “total siege” after a deadly mass infiltration into Israel by Hamas gunmen on Oct 7.

In neighbouring Syria – where Hamas’ main regional backer, Iran, has a military presence – Israeli missiles hit Damascus and Aleppo international airports early on Sunday, putting both out of service and killing two workers, Syrian state media said.

Along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, the Iran-backed Hezbollah has clashed with Israeli forces in support of Hamas in the deadliest escalation of frontier violence since an Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006.

Hezbollah said four fighters were killed in heavy exchanges of fire on Sunday and another died of wounds received earlier, raising to 24 the number of its members killed since Oct 7.

Lebanese security sources said 11 fighters with Palestinian militant groups in Lebanon had also been killed in the volatile border region, alongside four civilians.

At least five Israeli soldiers and one civilian have been killed on Israel’s side of the frontier, according to Israeli military reports.

With violence around its heavily guarded borders increasing, Israel on Sunday added 14 communities close to Lebanon and Syria to its evacuation contingency plan in the north of the country.