France and Lebanon say Israel violated its ceasefire with Hezbollah with a strike in Beirut, as deaths mount in Gaza after Israel abandoned its ceasefire with Hamas.

Israel has launched an attack on the Lebanese capital Beirut for the first time since a ceasefire ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war in November.

Israel’s military struck Beirut for the first time since a ceasefire with the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah started in November, an indication of how the deal backed by the U.S. and France is fraying.

Israeli strikes frequently targeted Beirut's southern suburbs, where longtime Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was slain in September. After a brief respite, the return of the Israeli air war to the capital threatens to ignite new tensions within Lebanon.

Sunni-led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Shia Hezbollah – on the Syrian-Lebanese border highlights a growing sectarian divide in the region.

Friday's air raid by Israel was the first in the Lebanese capital's southern suburbs and raised fears of a return to war.

Syria’s military fired rockets and shells at Lebanon on Sunday after accusing Iran-backed Hezbollah of executing three Syrian army personnel, sparking unusual tensions between the two war-ravaged neighbors.

Israel has launched an attack on the Lebanese capital Beirut for the first time since a ceasefire ended fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in November.