Israel-Gaza updates: IDF says it exposed Hamas tunnel under Shifa Hospital

The Israel Defense Forces said Thursday that its "soldiers struck a terrorist cell in Lebanon that attempted to launch anti-tank missiles toward Israeli territory."

"In addition, terrorists attempted to carry out a number of launches toward the area of ​​Misgav Am in northern Israel, as well as IDF posts in the areas of Metula and Yiftah," the IDF said in a statement. "No injuries were reported."

"In response, IDF soldiers are striking with artillery fire toward the sources of the launches," the IDF added.

In recent weeks, there have been continued exchanges between Israeli forces and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border. Although the clashes remain within the notional 10-kilometer corridor along the shared border, they are now a daily occurrence and have intensified in recent days, which raises the potential for escalation as each side responds to the other's strikes.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been walking a delicate line with regard to the group's response to the latest outbreak of war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas. In remarks made a couple weeks ago, Nasrallah effectively distanced himself from Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, saying it was wholly a Palestinian conceived, planned and undertaken operation. At the same time, he has pledged support to the Palestinians in their struggle amid Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip. He also said that Hezbollah had joined the fight against Israeli forces from Oct. 8 with strikes across the border, but ruled out a full-scale war at this time.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah has been scrupulously issuing regular statements taking responsibility for strikes on northern Israel and providing precise details.

The types of ordinance used in these cross-border strikes are also ramping up. The Lebanese Armed Forces recently posted on their official Facebook page "general guidelines for avoiding the dangers of phosphorus munitions." Lebanon has repeatedly accused Israel of using incendiary and phosphorus munitions in their attacks.

But Hezbollah's leader made clear in his speech last Saturday that the group does not want a war with Israel right now. Acting Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has indicated the same and has praised the patriotism and restraint of Hezbollah.

For now, there appears to be a slow-burn battle between Israel and Hezbollah but within the 10-kilometer corridor of the border and therefore contained. It's unclear how long that will last.

-ABC News' Ghazi Balkiz, Marcus Moore and Bruno Roeber

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told ABC News on Thursday that "there's still working going on, literally by the hour," to secure the release of the remaining hostages being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

"We've got folks on the ground. We've been talking to them, our negotiators are talking to their negotiators and we're working on this really, really hard," Kirby said during an interview on "Good Morning America."

"I don't have an announcement to make today," he added. "But, as the president said yesterday, we're hopeful that we can actually get a good result here."

-ABC News' Morgan Winsor

During an interview Thursday on ABC News' "Good Morning America," U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby was asked whether Israel's raid on the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip was justified.

"Well, the raid, they're going in on the ground here. They're not bombing it," Kirby said. "They're going after the Hamas leadership that is there. This presents a real dilemma for them."

"Hamas is using that hospital as a command and control mode and as a way to store weapons, and even house their fighters. Israel has to do something about that threat," he continued. "But they also have an added burden of protecting the civilians, the medical staff, the doctors and the patients that are at that hospital. And they are trying hard to strike that balance."

The IDF alleges that Hamas has placed its command centers under Al-Shifa and other hospitals in Gaza and is deliberately sheltering behind Palestinian civilians -- claims that the militant group denies.

Kirby told a press gaggle on Tuesday that the U.S. has intelligence that Hamas has used Gaza's hospitals, including Al-Shifa, to support its military operations and hold hostages.

-ABC News' Morgan Winsor

Israeli ground troops continued to carry out a raid on the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip for a second day.

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces told ABC News that, as of 1 p.m. local time on Thursday, soldiers were still inside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, some 34 hours after launching the raid.

The IDF spokesperson also confirmed that they found explosives inside the medical complex.

The IDF alleges that Hamas has placed its command centers under Al-Shifa and other hospitals in Gaza and is deliberately sheltering behind Palestinian civilians -- claims that the militant group denies.

-ABC News' Dana Savir and Morgan Winsor