Israeli warplanes pounded southern Lebanon on Saturday, raising fears of all-out war a day after an Israeli strike on Beirut left senior Hezbollah commanders among the 37 people Lebanese officials reported killed.

Dozens of Israeli warplanes were striking Hezbollah targets "widely" across southern Lebanon "to eliminate threats against the citizens of Israel," military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.

For nearly a year, Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon have traded cross-border fire with Israeli forces in support of Palestinian ally Hamas, whose October 7 attack on Israel triggered war in Gaza.