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.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has closed its aid distribution sites for the day, without giving a date on when they would open again.

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 on Thursday, in one of its largest strikes on Hezbollah assets since a cease-fire was agreed to in November. The military said Hezbollah’s aerial unit was producing thousands of drones with help and funding frin Iran.