Hezbollah targets in Lebanon struck by Israel; IDF advises residents to remain near bomb shelters

On Thursday, Israeli officials advised residents in the north to remain indoors or near bomb shelters following IAF strikes on hundreds of Hezbollah military targets in Lebanon.

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) targeted approximately 1,000 barrels of "terrorist infrastructure" with intelligence gathered from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), striking 100 launchers.

These barrels were prepared to be utilized promptly to target Israeli land, according to Israeli officials.

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.

After two days of attacks on thousands of Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies, which have been widely attributed to Israel, the strikes have begun.

Since the back-to-back attacks on Thursday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has remained silent until now, describing the mass bombing of devices as a "severe blow" and threatening retaliation.

While Nasrallah spoke in Beirut, Israeli warplanes flew low and broke the sound barrier, scattering birds and causing people to open windows to prevent damage. In northern Israel, Hezbollah struck at least four times, resulting in the death of two Israeli soldiers earlier in the day.

On Thursday, Hezbollah announced that it had attacked three Israeli military locations near the border using drones. As a result, eight individuals were lightly or moderately injured and reported in hospitals.

The escalation of attacks between Hezbollah and Israel has intensified concerns that the ongoing near-daily exchanges of fire will lead to a full-scale war. Hezbollah claims its attacks on Israel are a demonstration of solidarity with Hamas. Israel's ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza, which began after Hamas militants carried out an attack on Israel in October, has been ongoing for nearly a year.

Israel has responded to Hezbollah's attacks with strikes in southern Lebanon and has struck senior figures from the group in the capital, Beirut. The exchanges have resulted in the deaths of hundreds in Lebanon and dozens in Israel, and have forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents on each side of the border.

Israeli leaders have intensified their warnings about a possible larger military operation against Hezbollah, stating their resolve to put an end to the group's attacks and enable tens of thousands of Israelis to return to their homes near the border.

During a briefing on Thursday, the Israeli defense minister stated that Hezbollah would face higher consequences as Israel works to secure the area around its border with Lebanon, allowing residents to safely return.

"The sequence of our military actions will continue," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.