Israel's army

Oil prices rallied and equities sank on April 19 as reports said explosions had been heard in Iran and Syria, fuelling fears of an escalation of the Middle East crisis after last weekend's missile attack on Israel by Tehran.

Traders have been on edge since last week's barrage by Iran, which Israel's army chief General Herzi Halevi warned would be met with a response.

Iran's top diplomat said Thursday his country has told the United States that it is not seeking escalation after an unprecedented attack on Israel.

Asian stocks fell and oil prices climbed Tuesday on growing fears of a wider war in the Middle East after Israel's army chief vowed a response to Iran's unprecedented attack on his country at the weekend.

Palestinian medical personnel in the war-torn Gaza Strip have been subjected to severe maltreatment, including being blindfolded, stripped and repeatedly beaten, after an Israeli raid at a hospital last month, a BBC report said on March 12.

Israeli strikes hit south Gaza and across its border with Lebanon, the army said Monday ahead of a visit by the top U.S. diplomat who is seeking to avert a wider war.

Gaza's health ministry said 73 dead and 99 wounded had arrived at Al-Aqsa hospital in central Gaza's Deir al-Balah city over the previous 24 hours.

Shelling and missile strikes rocked the length of the Gaza Strip overnight into Tuesday, after Israel's army warned its war against the territory's Hamas rulers will last through 2024.

Nearly three months of conflict have claimed almost 22,000 lives in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, and devastated much of the besieged territory.

At least 241 victims of military operations in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, according to the Hamas-controlled local health authorities.

Israel's army chief of staff, Herzi Halevi, said the war against Hamas would continue "for many more months." Just yesterday, Israel hit over 100 targets. Loud explosions echoed in the Gaza Strip this morning as well.

Israel pressed on with its bombing of Gaza on Tuesday after saying its campaign to destroy Hamas has left the Palestinian militant group on the "the verge of dissolution".

Humanitarian leaders fear the besieged territory will soon be overwhelmed by disease and starvation, and are piling diplomatic pressure on Israel to boost efforts to protect civilians.

Israel hit Gaza with air strikes on Aug. 6 and a Palestinian militant group retaliated with a barrage of rocket fire, in the territory's worst escalation of violence since a war last year.

Israel has said it was forced to launch a "pre-emptive" operation against Islamic Jihad, insisting the group was planning an imminent attack following days of tensions along the Gaza border.

Palestinian officials in Gaza say Sunday was the deadliest day since the current fighting with Israel began.

More than 40 people were killed in the latest Israeli air strikes on Gaza, officials there say.

Israel's army say Palestinian militants have fired more than 3,000 rockets at Israel over the past week.