An Israeli overnight attack on Rafah in southern Gaza killed 18 people, including 14 children, health authorities said on Sunday, as the United States was reportedly expected to approve billions of dollars in additional military aid.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran had demonstrated its “power” in the attack on Israel after a series of tit-for-tat strikes between the two countries raised fears of an all-out regional war.

Khamenei called on the Iranian military to “continuously pursue military innovation and learn the enemy’s tactics.” On April 13, a missile launched by Tehran towards Israel in response to an attack on its Syrian consulate was intercepted by Israel with assistance from the United States and Britain.

Khamenei said: “How many missiles were launched and how many hit the target is not the main issue. What really matters is that Iran showed its willpower in that operation.”

Israel has carried out almost daily air strikes on Rafah and vowed to expand its ground offensive there, even as the United States warned against a large-scale offensive against the city and called for more targeted action.

The first attack killed a husband, his pregnant wife and their three-year-old child, while doctors managed to save the unborn baby, according to nearby Kuwaiti hospitals.

The second strike resulted in the deaths of 13 children and two women from the same family, according to hospital records. An airstrike in Rafah the night before killed nine people, including six children.

The attack came despite repeated international calls for restraint, where more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people are holed up in the city on the border with Egypt.

United States – Already “Categorically denies” reports about its “green light” Israel, which will take action against Rafah if it avoids severe retaliation for Iranian attacks on its territory, said last week it wanted to see Hamas defeated in the city but was concerned about “various courses of action”.

U.S. officials said they raised concerns about the plans at a meeting on Thursday and said representatives for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to “consider these concerns.”

The House of Representatives on Saturday approved a $26 billion aid package that includes about $9 billion in humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The war in Gaza has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, injured 76,901, and about 80 percent of the population has fled their homes, leaving the Strip on the brink of famine, according to the enclave’s health ministry.

About two-thirds of the casualties were women and children, the report said, adding that the actual death toll was likely higher because many bodies were trapped under the rubble.

The Israel Defense Forces said Hamas militants were holed up in Rafah and blamed the militants for causing civilian casualties because they operated in residential areas.

The Israel-Hamas conflict began when militants launched a brutal attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and capturing 250 people. According to Israel, Hamas is holding about 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 people.

The IDF rarely comments on individual attacks and says it has killed more than 13,000 Hamas fighters, without providing evidence.

Thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Saturday, calling for elections to replace Mr Netanyahu and more action on a deal to free the hostages. The prime minister vowed that the conflict would continue until Hamas was destroyed and all hostages returned.

Fears of an imminent all-out war in the Middle East were at least temporarily eased after an Israeli missile attack on an Iranian air base on Friday, with new satellite images believed to show damage to part of the airport’s air defense system in Isfahan. Israel has not officially admitted responsibility for the attack, although U.S. officials said it was behind it.

Tehran played down the “infiltration” on Friday, saying the drone was pinned down by air defenses and did not cause any damage or harm, suggesting it had no plans to retaliate.

The United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency stated that “Iran’s nuclear facilities have not been damaged.”

Tensions between the two countries escalated after Israel’s suspected attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, on April 1. On April 13, Iran retaliated by attacking Israel.

It has sparked regional instability, pitting the United States and Israel against Iran and its Middle East proxies, and insiders fear an outbreak of hostilities could lead to a major conflict in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, violence erupted in the Israeli-occupied West Bank as IDF soldiers killed two Palestinians who the military said attacked a checkpoint near the town of Hebron on Sunday with knives and guns stand. The Palestinian Health Ministry said the two victims were 18 and 19 years old and from the same family.

Agency’s Supplementary Report