CAIRO/GAZA, June 4 (Reuters) - Israeli strikes killed at least nine Palestinians, including five family members, in separate attacks in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, health officials said. Medics said Israeli planes launched strikes on four apartments around the same time before dawn on Thursday,

Israel said it was stepping up attacks on Lebanon this week "to increase the intensity" of fighting against Iran-backed Hezbollah.

A prolonged stalemate in Gaza risks cementing the territory’s permanent division, a top international official overseeing the ceasefire has warned, as Israel deepens its control over the enclave.

On paper, there are ceasefires in place between Israel and the US in Iran, and also in Lebanon, Gaza. On the ground, fighting goes on.

Hamas said on Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's declaration that his country would expand its area of control in Gaza was a dangerous escalation, as European states and residents of the Palestinian territory also voiced alarm at the plan.

Accounts from soldiers who were stationed in Gaza amid a fragile ceasefire there are offering a rare glimpse into the Israeli-controlled part of the war-ravaged territory.

President Trump’s proposal to end the war with Iran would delay tackling the most contentious issues — a tactic that has had mixed results in Gaza.