GAZA/JERUSALEM, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army launched air and artillery strikes across various areas of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, coinciding with the second anniversary of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Local sources and eyewitnesses told Xinhua that Israeli warplanes and drones targeted homes and apartments in various areas of the Gaza Strip, particularly the Sabra and Tal al-Hawa neighborhoods south of Gaza City, the Shati refugee camp west of the city, and the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Israeli artillery also shelled an apartment building in the al-Rimal neighborhood in central Gaza City and areas in the neighborhoods of al-Zeitoun, al-Sabra, Tal al-Hawa, Shuja'iyya, and al-Tuffah.

According to sources and eyewitnesses, military vehicles loaded with explosives were detonated near residential areas.

Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Civil Defense Authority in Gaza, told Xinhua that airstrikes and artillery shelling on the Gaza Strip, particularly Gaza City, killed at least 10 people and wounded several others.

Gaza residents reported clashes between Palestinian militants and Israeli army forces east of Khan Younis, amid gunfire from helicopters flying at low altitudes.

Israeli radio reported that Hamas militants attacked Israeli army positions and carried out mortar and anti-tank missile attacks, killing at least one soldier and wounding five others.

There were no comments from Hamas or the Israeli army on these developments on the ground.

The attacks came as indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas continued for the second consecutive day in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El Sheikh.

Meanwhile, Hamas said in a press statement on the second anniversary of the conflict that the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel marked "a major turning point in the political and military landscape of the region."

For their part, Palestinian resistance factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, said in a separate statement that "resistance in all its forms will remain the only way to confront the enemy, and no one has the right to relinquish the Palestinian people's weapons."

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa said at the start of his cabinet meeting in Ramallah that the people of the Gaza Strip "need our collective solidarity to heal their wounds and alleviate their pain."

He emphasized that "this can only be achieved by enabling the Palestinian government to fully carry out its role in implementing the relief and early recovery plan leading to reconstruction, with the support of all our brothers and partners to consolidate the steadfastness of our people in the enclave."

Israel also held commemorative events on Tuesday to mark the second anniversary, honoring the victims and calling for the release of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

The main event, the National Memorial Ceremony of Oct. 7 Families, took place in the evening at Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv, drawing thousands of people. The ceremony included speeches by family members of victims and hostages, as well as performances by dozens of Israeli singers.

Ceremonies were also held in Israeli villages near Gaza, many of whose residents were killed during the Hamas attack in 2023.

Hamas launched a surprise attack on settlements and military positions in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which claimed the lives of 1,200 people, according to official Israeli figures.

Israel responded with a large-scale military campaign against Gaza, resulting in the deaths of 67,173 Palestinians, including 20,179 children, 10,427 women, and 4,813 elderly people, according to the health authorities in Gaza.