Israel is arming local militias in Gaza in an effort to counter Hamas in the besieged enclave, officials say, as opposition politicians warned that the move endangers national security.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that Israel is arming clans in Gaza that he says are opposed to Hamas. His comments came after Israeli media reports quoted defence sources as saying Netanyahu had authorised giving weapons to one particular group in the south of Gaza.

The Israeli prime minister's comments on social media were the first public acknowledgment of Israel’s backing of armed Palestinian groups within Gaza, based around powerful families.

Israel is striking “terror targets of the Hezbollah Aerial Unit (127)” in the southern suburb of Dahieh, Beirut, the Israel Defense Forces said, as large plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the Lebanese capital late on Thursday.

The Israel Defense Forces said it targeted drone production sites that the militant group had set up in Beirut’s Dahiyeh area and the southern village of Ain Qana, saying Hizbollah was “operating to increase production of UAV’s for the next war”.

Israel’s military said it was targeting an underground drone facility in southern Beirut.

The United States on Thursday sanctioned four International Criminal Court Judges, citing investigations into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan and Israeli leaders.

It's the latest salvo in the Trump administration’s escalating feud with the tribunal and could spark tensions with the Netherlands ahead of the NATO summit.

The Trump administration is slapping sanctions on four judges at the International Criminal Court over the tribunal’s investigation into alleged war crimes by Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza