The Israeli military said its warplanes struck Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon late on Thursday, shooting down hundreds of rockets that were scheduled for immediate launch into Israeli territory.
The spokesman said warplanes had struck around 100 rocket launchers with around 1,000 rounds since the afternoon.
“The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will continue operations to weaken Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure and capabilities in defense of the State of Israel,” the IDF said.
The heavy shelling follows attacks earlier this week that Lebanon and Hezbollah blame on Israel, which blew up Hezbollah radios and pagers, killing 37 people in Lebanon and wounding around 3,000.
Three Lebanese security sources said Israel dropped dozens of bombs across southern Lebanon in an operation late on Thursday night.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel would continue its military operations against Hezbollah.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah following a week of escalating tensions.
The United States also expressed concern about further escalation of tensions.
On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to allow tens of thousands of people displaced from the northern border region to return to their homes. Hezbollah
Following the October 7 attack, Iran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel in a show of support for Hamas, forcing many residents to flee to the center of the country.
Since then, Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged artillery fire on a daily basis.
