The escalation came as Lebanese authorities, who have been trying to spare the country from any repercussions of the US-Israeli attack on Iran, said Hezbollah's rocket fire gave Israel "excuses" to ramp up its attacks

Hezbollah's attack on Israel overnight was the first time the Lebanese movement claimed responsibility for an operation against Israel since a November 2024 ceasefire sought to end over a year of hostilities between the two

The group announced around 3 am (0100 GMT) on Monday that it had targeted an Israeli army site south of Haifa city "with a barrage of high-quality missiles and a swarm of drones"

It said the move was "retaliation for the pure blood" of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, blaming his death on Israel after it launched attacks in a joint operation with the United States on Saturday

Lebanon's health ministry gave an "initial toll" of 31 killed in Israel's strikes, 20 in Beirut's southern suburbs and 11 in the south. It said at least 149 were wounded