Syria says Israeli strikes kill one soldier, wound seven

Israeli strikes on the Syrian capital Damascus and a military site near the western city of Homs early on Thursday killed one soldier and injured seven, the Syrian defence ministry said.

The attacks targeted the central Damascus neighbourhood of Kafr Sousa and a military site in the Homs countryside, the ministry said in a statement, adding the strikes caused "material damage" without elaborating.

Earlier in the day, Syrian state media said explosions were heard in Damascus after Israel struck a residential building in Kafr Sousa.

Israel typically does not comment on specific reports of strikes in Syria.

Israel has been carrying out strikes against Iranian-linked targets in Syria for years, but it has ramped up raids since last year's October 7 attack on Israel by Palestinian group Hamas.

Israel has also expanded its activity in Lebanon and Gaza, striking Tyre, a UNESCO-listed port city in south Lebanon, and besieging Jabalia in northern Gaza. 

In the last 24 hours, Israel has killed 28 people and wounded 139 in Lebanon, according to the country's health ministry, raising the death toll since the conflict began to 2,574, with 12,001 people wounded.

In Gaza, nearly 43,000 people have been killed by Israel and 100,412 others wounded.

Since the start of the Jabalia siege 19 days ago, Israel has killed more than 770 people.