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Israel bombed Hezbollah and Hamas targets in Lebanon and Gaza on Sunday; The clashes continue a day after attacks on Iran created fears of a wider war.

The Israeli military said it killed 70 Hezbollah fighters in the past day, hit 120 targets in southern Lebanon and carried out “precision attacks” on weapons factories and storage facilities in the Iran-backed group’s stronghold south of Beirut.

It was stated that “40 terrorists” were eliminated in Gaza in the last day. Reporters and eyewitnesses in Gaza confirmed that northern Palestinian territory was hit.

The ongoing clashes come as Israel marks the first anniversary on the Hebrew calendar of Hamas’ bloody cross-border offensive on October 7 last year.

Following Israeli airstrikes that killed at least four soldiers on Saturday, Iran said it had a “duty” to respond, but its military said it was prioritizing a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said that Saturday’s attack was “precise and powerful and achieved all its objectives” and stated that Israel had stopped hitting Iran.

In Gaza, which UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said was facing its “darkest hour”, Israeli forces are once again conducting a land and air operation in the north, which they say aims to prevent Hamas from regrouping.

The Hamas offensive on October 7 resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, most of them civilians, according to AFP’s calculation based on official Israeli figures.

At least 42,924 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel’s offensive on Gaza since then, according to figures deemed reliable by the UN from the Hamas-run region’s health ministry.

The war has since drawn in Iranian-backed groups in the region, particularly Hezbollah in Lebanon, where Israel has launched a major air campaign and ground offensives since late September.

Beirut’s suburbs were engulfed in smoke following overnight attacks after the Israeli army issued new evacuation warnings.

The Lebanese news agency reported bombings in the southern cities of Tire and Nabatiyeh.

At least 1,615 people have been killed in war in Lebanon since September 23, according to an AFP calculation based on official figures, but the real number is likely to be higher due to gaps in the data.

The Israeli army said four of its soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon, bringing the total number of Israeli soldiers killed since ground operations began on September 30 to 36.

World powers on Saturday called on Iran and Israel to withdraw from the brink of all-out war following Israeli attacks targeting Iran’s missile factories and military facilities.

Iran downplayed the significance of the attacks, claiming only a few radar systems were damaged, and the US warned Tehran not to respond.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on social media on Sunday that the attack “should neither be exaggerated nor underestimated.”

In his post, Khamenei said that Iran should ensure that Israel “understands the power, will and initiative of the Iranian nation and youth.”

Earlier, the Armed Forces General Staff said that it “prioritizes the establishment of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, while reserving Iran’s legal and legitimate right to respond at the appropriate time.”

Despite Netanyahu’s statements that the attacks achieved Israel’s goals, other Israeli figures took a harsher stance.

Far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir described the attacks as an “initial coup” and opposition figure Yair Lapid said: “We could and should have made Iran pay a much higher price.”

Israel says it carried out the attacks on its arch-enemy in response to an Oct. 1 attack in which Iran launched around 200 missiles in only its second direct attack on Israeli territory.

Most of these missiles were captured but one person was killed.

Saturday’s response was Israel’s first announced attack on Iran; but the attack on April 19, which was never claimed, was widely attributed to Israel.

The Israeli attacks were condemned by most of Iran’s neighbors, and many countries called on one or both enemies to show restraint.

US officials said there was no direct American military intervention in the attacks, which they said were carried out in Israeli self-defense.