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       Israeli airstrikes hit the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Friday morning, killing dozens of people including five members of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

       At about 1.45am local time (10.45pm GMT on Thursday), airstrikes targeted several areas in Aleppo’s countryside, in which a number of civilians and military personnel were killed, a Syrian Defence Ministry statement said.

       The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the targets were weapons stores used by Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

       At least 38 people were confirmed dead in the strikes, according to Reuters news agency, which reported two sources saying that at least five of them were members of Hezbollah.

       The Syrian Defence Ministry also confirmed a drone attack was carried out from Idlib and western rural Aleppo. However, the ministry said the attack was conducted by “terrorist organisations” targeting civilians in Aleppo and its surroundings.

       However, the ministry did not mention a specific death toll for the attack.

       “The aggression resulted in the martyrdom and injury of a number of civilians and military personnel and caused material losses to public and private property,” the statement said.

       The Israeli military has not confirmed its role in the attack.

       Since the 7 October attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians, which led to the ongoing war, Israel has launched hundreds of strikes on Syria, mostly targeting groups allied with Iran, which backs the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

       It has also struck Syrian army air defences and some Syrian forces.

       This has marked a major escalation in tensions between the Hezbollah and Israel, with the militant group also launching several attacks from southern Lebanon.

       Its sway has also increased in vast areas of eastern, southern and northwestern Syria and in several suburbs around the capital.

       Meanwhile, Israel continued its bombardment of the southern Gaza strip overnight despite international pressure for an immediate ceasefire.

       Air strikes and intense fighting continued on Thursday around three of the Palestinian territory’s hospitals, raising fears for patients, medical staff and displaced people inside them.

       More about Israeli Aleppo Syria Hezbollah lebanese airstrikes Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

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       1/ 1Hezbollah militants among dozens killed in Israeli strikes on Aleppo

       Hezbollah militants among dozens killed in Israeli strikes on Aleppo

       File image: Black smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab, a Lebanese border village with Israel in south Lebanon in November

       AP

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