The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah is promising to retaliate for deadly attacks on its communication devices after Israel’s defense minister announced a “new phase” of the war.

Khaled Meshal, one of Hamas’s most senior officials, said in an interview that the militant group expects to play a decisive role in the enclave when the war is over.

Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar said Monday the Palestinian group had ample resources to sustain its fight against Israel, with support from Iran-backed regional allies, nearly a year into the Gaza war.Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group has traded near-daily cross-border fire with Israeli forces since October 7 in stated support of ally Hamas.

Palestinian officials say Israeli airstrikes killed 16 people Monday in the Gaza Strip, including five women and four children. Israel says it only targets militants and accuses Hamas and other armed groups of endangering civilians by operating in residential areas.

Daily exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel have been destructive, disruptive and sometimes deadly. An escalation could risk starting a wider regional conflict.

The European Union's foreign policy chief called Tuesday for more pressure on Israel and Hamas for a Gaza ceasefire as a deal remained out of reach despite several rounds of talks.

Gaza The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy urged on Tuesday for “compromise” to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, which he believes could end the war and de-escalate the region's “most perilous” situation in years.