A 9-year-old Israeli girl who suffered cardiac arrest last week while running to a bomb shelter in the southern city of Ashdod died on Saturday, Assuta Hospital announced.
Israeli media identified the victim as Tamar Torpiashvili.
The Israeli home front continued to face rocket fire from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, with volleys fired at greater Tel Aviv and Beersheva on Saturday.
A rocket scored a direct hit on a home in Beersheva, but no injuries were reported. Rockets also landed in the central cities of Ramat Gan, Holon and Kiryat Ono, lightly injuring three people.
In northern Israel, several anti-tank missiles and mortar shells were launched from Lebanese territory on Saturday, some targeting Israel Defense Forces posts along the border.
IDF tanks and artillery fired at the origin of the attacks and struck Hezbollah military infrastructure in Lebanon, the army said.
A terrorist cell attempted to fire anti-tank missiles from Lebanon towards the western sector of the border, near Kibbutz Hanita. An IDF UAV struck the cell.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Saturday directed the military to continue striking above and below ground in Gaza and to continue its efforts to detect and eliminate Hamas terrorists, both leadership and operatives.
“Last night, we completed a phase in the war. We will continue to be strong and precise, and hunt down every terrorist,” said Gallant.
IDF ground forces that entered northern Gaza on Friday night remained there on Saturday, marking what appears to be the start of the Israeli ground offensive, as opposed to earlier pinpoint raids.
“In Gaza, we are proceeding with the stages of the war. IDF forces entered northern Gaza and broadened the ground activities,” IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said on Saturday.
