At least 15 people were killed in Damascus, according to Syrian state media. The Israeli military said it had “inflicted significant damage” to a Palestinian Islamic Jihad command center.

An Israeli airstrike killed at least 23 people in the village of Aalmat, north of Beirut and far from the areas in southern and eastern Lebanon where the militant Hezbollah group has a major presence. Lebanon's Health Ministry said a further six people were wounded. There was no immediate Israeli comment.

Israel suffered one of the deadliest days of its ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon on Wednesday when six of its soldiers were killed in combat near the border.Their deaths mean 47 Israeli troops have been killed in combat with Hezbollah since September 30,