The bombardment in Lebanon came as rescue workers in Beirut were still pulling bodies from the rubble from an Israeli airstrike Friday afternoon. The attack, in a southern suburb, killed 37 people, including at least two senior Hezbollah commanders, one of whom served as the group’s chief of operations.

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.

Amid fears of an expanding war in the Middle East following mass detentions of bombs surreptitiously planted in Hezbollah communication devices, Israel continued its assault of the Iran-backed militia overnight.