Hezbollah said its fighters were engaging Israeli forces inside Lebanon on Wednesday, reporting ground clashes for the first time since Israeli forces pushed over the border. Hezbollah said it had destroyed three Israeli Merkava tanks with rockets near the border town of Maroun El Ras.

Israel and Hezbollah clash in fierce fighting in Lebanon as Netanyahu vows Iran ‘will pay’ for missile attack - ‘Significant’ response expected in days as eight Israeli soldiers killed during fighting

Iran said the barrage was retaliation for a series of devastating blows Israel has landed in recent weeks against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has been firing rockets into Israel since the war in Gaza began.