The Israeli military said it was striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Thursday, shortly before the movement's leader was due to give a speech. It also said the military chief of staff had approved plans for Israel's north,

Israel launched a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, just as the militant group’s leader said two days of exploding pagers and walkie-talkies amounted to a declaration of war.

Israel carried out dozens of airstrikes across southern Lebanon today, one of the most intense bombardments in the country this year. The strikes came hours after Hezbollah’s leader vowed that “retribution will come” to Israel for the explosions of Hezbollah members’ hand-held devices.

Lebanon's Hezbollah said on Wednesday it attacked Israeli artillery positions with rockets in the first cross-border attack since the Tuesday pager blasts.

The Israeli military launched a new wave of strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Thursday, after two days of device explosions that left the Middle East fearing all-out war.

Israel says two of its soldiers were killed by latest Hezbollah strikes across the Lebanon border.