Israel-Hamas war Highlights: Egypt says 'minor injuries' in accidental Israeli firing

Palestinian Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian discussed the means of stopping the Israeli "brutal crimes" in the besieged Gaza enclave, the group said in a statement late Sunday.

French President Emmanuel Macron attended a video-conference with the families of French hostages on Sunday.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday ramped up his engagement with the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, convening a call with the leaders of Canada, France, Britain, Germany and Italy, after speaking with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.

Israeli strikes on Sunday put out of service war-torn Syria's two main airports, state media reported citing a military source, with the transport ministry saying flights were re-routed to Latakia.

While Israeli strikes have repeatedly caused the grounding of flights at the government-controlled airports in the capital Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo, it is the second time simultaneous strikes have hit the facilities since this month's conflict between Israel and Hamas began.

Israeli warplanes struck targets across Gaza, two airports in Syria and a mosque in the occupied West Bank allegedly used by militants, as the 2-week-old war with Hamas threatened to spiral Sunday into a broader conflict.

Israel has traded fire with Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group since the war began, and tensions are soaring in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces have battled militants in refugee camps and carried out two airstrikes in recent days.

Hezbollah will make "the mistake of its life" if it starts a war with Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, as tensions rose on the Israel-Lebanon border.

His remarks came during a visit as the Israeli leader visited troops near Israel's northern border with Lebanon where increasing artillery exchanges have heightened fears of a new front opening as Israel battles Hamas in Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will visit Israel this week.

Netanyahu's office said in a statement that the two leaders "will arrive on Monday and Tuesday" and meet with him.

Israel's defence minister said Sunday that the war against Hamas could take "months" but insisted it would be the last against the Gaza militant group.

Yoav Gallant stepped up the war of words with Hamas as he spoke with forces gathered for an expected ground invasion of the Palestinian territory in response to the shock Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7.

"It will take one month, two months, three months, and at the end there will be no more Hamas," Gallant said at an air force base whose location was not given by the defence ministry.

Hundreds of demonstrators rallied outside the United Nations on Sunday demanding the release of hostages seized by Hamas during the Islamist group's bloody attack on Israel.

The protest on the square outside the UN's Palais des Nations headquarters in Geneva was organised by the Voice for Freedom coalition, bringing together several Christian Zionist organising committees.

The gathering therefore had a religious tone, with chants and slogans intermingled with prayers and psalms.

The Israel Defence Forces expressed regret after a tank accidentally fired hitting an Egyptian post.

The incident happened at an Egyptian post adjacent to the border in the area of Kerem Shalom.

"A short while ago, an IDF tank accidentally fired and hit an Egyptian post adjacent to the border in the area of Kerem Shalom. The incident is being investigated and the details are under review. The IDF expresses sorrow regarding the incident," IDF said.

Pope Francis and S. President Joe Biden discussed the Israel-Hamas conflict and other wars in a telephone conversation on Sunday, the Vatican said.

The conversation lasted about 20 minutes and "focused on conflict situations in the world and the need to identify paths to peace," the Vatican said.

Israel's Securities Authority published temporary reliefs for portfolio managers and stock exchange members during the "Iron Swords" war.

In a discussion with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Joe Biden conveyed to the Jewish leader that "Israel must operate by the laws of war" in its war against Hamas.

The Israeli military said one of its tanks had "accidentally fired and hit an Egyptian post" near the border with Gaza as the army bombards the Palestinian enclave. The Egyptian military said the blast had caused "minor injuries" but did not give details.

"The IDF (Israeli military) expresses sorrow regarding the incident" near the Kerem Shalom area, an army statement said.

"The incident is being investigated and the details are under review," the statement added.

The Egyptian army said Israel had "immediately expressed its regret over the unintentional incident and an investigation is underway".

The United States sees the prospect of a significant escalation in attacks on its troops in the Middle East and of Iran seeking to widen the Israel-Hamas war, the top U.S. diplomat and defense officials said on Sunday.

Egypt army reports 'minor injuries' in accidental Israeli shelling, news agency AFP reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told troops in northern Israel that if Hezbollah launches a war against Israel, "it will make the mistake of its life. We will cripple it with a force it cannot even imagine and the consequences for it and the Lebanese state will be devastating”.

Israeli aircraft killed Muhammad Katamash, the deputy head of the Hamas terrorist organization's regional artillery array in Gaza on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces announced.

Israeli military said on Sunday that one of its tanks accidentally hit an Egyptian position near the border with the Gaza Strip.

"The incident is being investigated and the details are under review. The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) expresses sorrow regarding the incident," it said in a statement, giving no further details.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US would “respond decisively” if Iran-backed groups attacked American forces. “We are concerned at the possibility of Iranian proxies escalating their attacks against our own personnel,” Blinken said on CBS News.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called on Sunday on the international community to create "united front" to stop Israel's attacks in the Gaza Strip.

"We place at the top of our priorities stopping the Israeli aggression (...) and bringing in medical and relief aid to prevent a major humanitarian catastrophe," Shtayyeh said during a meeting with 25 ambassadors, representatives and consuls.

India on Sunday sent more than 38 tonnes of relief material including medicines and medical equipment for the people of Palestine amid mounting global concerns over the plight of civilians living in Gaza.

“Without fuel, there will be no water, no functioning hospitals and bakeries. Without fuel, aid will not reach many civilians in desperate need. Without fuel, there will be no humanitarian assistance,” Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner General, said in a statement.

“Without fuel, we will fail the people of Gaza whose needs are growing by the hour, under our watch. This cannot and should not happen,” Lazzarini said.

He called on “all parties and those with influence” to allow fuel into Gaza immediately, while ensuring that it is only used for humanitarian purposes.

An explosion and the sound of ambulances were heard near the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip on Sunday afternoon, shortly after a second aid convoy had entered the crossing from the Egyptian side, witnesses said as per news agency Reuters.