<p><em>By Gwen Ackerman</em></p><p>Israel made a “significant, expanded” push in Hamas-ruled Gaza on Sunday, encircling Gaza City in its entirety and attacking targets above and below ground, army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. </p><p>“From today there is northern Gaza and southern Gaza,” Hagari said. A humanitarian corridor remained open for residents to flee south, he said. </p><p>Photos from the Hamas-controlled seaside strip showed people walking south, their belongings piled high on donkey-pulled wagons. </p><p>The new assault was announced as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ended a visit to Baghdad, one stop in a Middle East diplomatic tour that included talks in the West Bank with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Arab leaders are calling for a cease-fire, which the US opposes in favor of “humanitarian pauses” to increase aid to Gaza and make room for possible hostage releases. </p>.Israel says it stopped firing for many hours in northern Gaza to help civilians leave.<p>On Israel’s northern border, tensions escalated amid exchanges of fire. </p><p>Hezbollah said it launched several Grad missiles at Kiryat Shmona, a city in northern Israel, after the Israeli military struck a civilian car in South Lebanon, the state-run NNA reported. Israel’s Channel 12 said the Hezbollah claim was its first since the start of the war on October 7. </p><p>Hezbollah said it “will never tolerate harm and assault on civilians,” adding that its “response will be firm and strong.” An Israeli drone killed four people, including three children, the Lebanese prime minister’s office said in a post on X.</p><p>Hagari said in his broadcast address that Israel returned fire at Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, including on “terrorist infrastructure, terrorist units and vehicles used by terrorists,” after anti-tank fire killed an Israeli civilian. </p><p>The Israeli military is “ready to strike in the north at any moment,” Israel’s Chief of General Staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi said in a statement released by the army.</p>
<p><em>By Gwen Ackerman</em></p><p>Israel made a “significant, expanded” push in Hamas-ruled Gaza on Sunday, encircling Gaza City in its entirety and attacking targets above and below ground, army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. </p><p>“From today there is northern Gaza and southern Gaza,” Hagari said. A humanitarian corridor remained open for residents to flee south, he said. </p><p>Photos from the Hamas-controlled seaside strip showed people walking south, their belongings piled high on donkey-pulled wagons. </p><p>The new assault was announced as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ended a visit to Baghdad, one stop in a Middle East diplomatic tour that included talks in the West Bank with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Arab leaders are calling for a cease-fire, which the US opposes in favor of “humanitarian pauses” to increase aid to Gaza and make room for possible hostage releases. </p>.Israel says it stopped firing for many hours in northern Gaza to help civilians leave.<p>On Israel’s northern border, tensions escalated amid exchanges of fire. </p><p>Hezbollah said it launched several Grad missiles at Kiryat Shmona, a city in northern Israel, after the Israeli military struck a civilian car in South Lebanon, the state-run NNA reported. Israel’s Channel 12 said the Hezbollah claim was its first since the start of the war on October 7. </p><p>Hezbollah said it “will never tolerate harm and assault on civilians,” adding that its “response will be firm and strong.” An Israeli drone killed four people, including three children, the Lebanese prime minister’s office said in a post on X.</p><p>Hagari said in his broadcast address that Israel returned fire at Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, including on “terrorist infrastructure, terrorist units and vehicles used by terrorists,” after anti-tank fire killed an Israeli civilian. </p><p>The Israeli military is “ready to strike in the north at any moment,” Israel’s Chief of General Staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi said in a statement released by the army.</p>