The Israeli army has launched attacks on Hamas and Hezbollah strongholds, despite crucial peace talks scheduled for tomorrow.
On Saturday, an attack on a suspected rocket base in the Gaza town of Zawayda killed 17 people, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
The attack came just hours after 10 people were killed and five others wounded in an assault on a suspected Hezbollah weapons depot in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon.
Lebanese state media said those killed in the incident were all Syrian citizens.
The news comes as talks aimed at brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are set to resume in the Qatari capital Doha.
Smoke rises over Deir al-Balah following Israeli bombardment on August 17
A man spreads his arms after 10 people were killed and five others wounded in a raid on a suspected Hezbollah weapons depot in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon.
The talks are being mediated by the host country, Egypt, and the United States.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Britain would “use every diplomatic tool” to help achieve a ceasefire.
He said: ‘We are at a crucial moment for global stability.
‘The next few hours and days could define the future of the Middle East.
“It is in the interest of both Israelis and Palestinians that an agreement be reached urgently.”
In a joint statement with his French, German and Italian counterparts, Mr Lammy added: “We underline the importance of avoiding any escalation in the region that could undermine the prospects for peace.
“There’s too much at stake.”
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has confirmed that he will send US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to Israel to show the United States’ “strong” support for the country’s security.
He added: “With a comprehensive ceasefire and hostage release agreement now in sight, no one in the region should take steps to undermine this process.”
Syrian women embrace outside a hospital in Wadi al-Kfour, Lebanon, after their loved ones were killed in an Israeli airstrike
A red shoe and a teddy bear can be seen among the rubble after what Lebanese state media has described as an Israeli attack on Nabatieh.
French Foreign Minister Stéphane Sejourne (left), Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa (center) and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy (right) meet in Ramallah, West Bank, August 16.
US President Joe Biden (left) confirmed that he will send US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (right) to Israel to show the United States’ “strong” support for the country’s security.
The outgoing president also said he felt “we are closer than ever” to ending the hostilities, which began when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on October 7 last year, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking more than 200 hostages.
However, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said reports that a deal was close were “misleading.”