Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel has “activated” some clans of Palestinians in Gaza that are opposed to Hamas, though it was not immediately clear what role they would play

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that Israel is arming clans in Gaza that he says are opposed to Hamas. His comments came after Israeli media reports quoted defence sources as saying Netanyahu had authorised giving weapons to one particular group in the south of Gaza.

Israel is striking “terror targets of the Hezbollah Aerial Unit (127)” in the southern suburb of Dahieh, Beirut, the Israel Defense Forces said, as large plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the Lebanese capital late on Thursday.

The Israel Defense Forces said it targeted drone production sites that the militant group had set up in Beirut’s Dahiyeh area and the southern village of Ain Qana, saying Hizbollah was “operating to increase production of UAV’s for the next war”.

Israel’s military said it was targeting an underground drone facility in southern Beirut on Thursday, in one of its largest strikes on Hezbollah assets since a cease-fire was agreed to in November. The military said Hezbollah’s aerial unit was producing thousands of drones with help and funding frin Iran.