GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories: Israel warned the Gaza war will continue throughout 2024 as unrelenting strikes killed dozens in the Palestinian territory and Hamas fired a rocket barrage at the stroke of midnight.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said that some of the 300,000 army reservists would get a break from the war, in order to prepare for the “prolonged fighting” ahead.

“We will be required for additional tasks and warfare throughout this year,” Hagari said.

Israel pounds Gaza, Hamas fires rockets as Netanyahu indicates long war

The Gaza health ministry said 15 dead bodies from the same family were recovered Monday from the rubble of a bombed house in Jabalia, in the northern part of the territory.

Violence has surged in the occupied West Bank, where more than 300 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers since October.

The war in Gaza has also raised fears of a broader regional conflict, with hostilities flaring with mostly Iran-backed groups in nearby countries who say they are acting in support of Hamas.

Iranian news agency Tasnim said Monday the Alborz warship had entered the Red Sea, a globally important waterway where a US-led maritime coalition has deployed to stop attacks from Yemen’s Tehran-backed Huthi rebels.

And on Monday the Israeli military said it had struck Lebanon, where it has fought the Hezbollah group, in response to attempted drone launches.