The Israeli military said it had carried out a targeted strike in Beirut on Friday which security sources in Lebanon said had hit near key Hezbollah facilities in the southern suburbs of the city, marking a sharp escalation of the conflict between the sides.

In a statement this morning, the IDF says its air force hit several Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon overnight. The targets included military buildings and a weapons store, it says. More than 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel on Wednesday, according to Israeli media.