The Israeli military attacked the southern suburbs of Beirut, seen as a stronghold of Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, with at least four airstrikes on Thursday, according to a dpa reporter who witnessed them.

The deaths on Wednesday made it one of the most lethal days for the Israeli military since it invaded Lebanon last month to battle Hezbollah fighters.

Israeli airstrikes hit sites in Beirut's southern suburbs, setting explosions between buildings in the area known as Dahiyeh. Israel said it was targeting "Hezbollah facilities and interests" after issuing evacuation warnings prior to the airstrikes.