Israeli military says it hit 40 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon

JERUSALEM - The Israeli military said on Wednesday Israeli fighter jets and artillery had hit 40 targets linked to Hezbollah fighters around Ayta ash Shab in southern Lebanon, as an escalation in cross border strikes in recent days continued.

It said the targets included storage facilities and weapons and other infrastructure.

The latest escalation came a day after at least two people were killed including an 11-year-old girl, and six others injured after an Israeli airstrike hit a residential area in the southern Lebanese town of Hanin.

"Israeli warplanes struck a two-storey house with two air-to-surface missiles, completely destroying the building which was inhabited by a family that had not left the town since Israeli attacks began," NNA said.

Hezbollah said in a statement it had fired dozens of Katyusha rockets Tuesday evening on the Israeli settlement of Margaliot in response to the Hanin attack.

Israeli forces and Lebanon's armed group Hezbollah have been exchanging fire for over six months in parallel to the Gaza war, in the most serious hostilities since they fought a major war in 2006.