The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has launched 115 “aerial targets” at civilian areas in northern Israel over the past few hours, the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) has said.

Some of the rockets landed near the northern Israeli city of Haifa.

Israeli first responders say the early morning barrage wounded at least three people, damaged buildings and set cars on fire.

Hezbollah said it had targeted a military base nearby.

The barrage came after an Israeli airstrike on the Lebanese capital Beirut killed at least 37 people on Friday.

Among those killed were Ibrahim Akil, who was in charge of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, and Ahmed Wahbi, another senior commander in the group’s military wing (see yesterday’s 15:07 post).

“The IDF defensive arrays are deployed in the area, are on high preparedness to thwart threats,” the Israeli military added.

Israel said earlier that it had struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

It said in its latest statement: “IDF strikes will continue and will intensify against the Hezbollah terrorist organization.”

Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire since the outbreak of the war in Gaza nearly a year ago, when the militant group began firing rockets in solidarity with the Palestinians and its fellow Iran-backed ally Hamas.