Israel warned residents in the north to stay inside or remain near bomb shelters Thursday after the Israeli Air Force struck Hezbollah military targets inside Lebanon.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said military action targeting Lebanon's Hezbollah militia "will continue." "Hezbollah feels persecuted," Gallant was quoted as saying by his office after a briefing on operational developments in northern Israel on Thursday.

Israel launched a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, moments before the militant group’s leader said two days of debilitating attacks on its members amounted to a declaration of war.