The Israeli army chief of staff said on Thursday that his country had dealt "a severe blow" to Hezbollah with its massive strikes carried out the previous day, during a situation update in southern Lebanon where Israel is conducting a ground offensive against the movement.

And in the evening, the Israeli army announced that it had begun striking Hezbollah "firing sites" in Lebanon.

"As you advance and operate on the front line, we dealt a heavy and powerful blow to Hezbollah yesterday (Wednesday)," Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir told troops deployed near the town of Bint Jbeil, five kilometers from the border with Israel.

He claimed that fighters from the Islamist movement allied with Tehran had "left" their stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut after these unprecedented raids which left more than 300 dead according to Lebanese authorities.

A few hours earlier, Hezbollah had indicated that its fighters were engaged in direct clashes with Israeli forces in Bint Jbeil, where the Shiite movement had repelled them in 2006 after a fierce battle.

The Lebanese movement "is now isolated in Lebanon and cut off from its strategic axis with Iran," the lieutenant general stated.

"The objective set for you is the elimination of the direct threat to the inhabitants of the north (of Israel, editor's note), which you are accomplishing on the ground," he continued.

And to conclude: "We will continue to act to restore lasting security."

A little later, the Israeli army issued a statement announcing that it had "begun striking Hezbollah firing sites in Lebanon."

The Lebanese news agency Ani reported several Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, including in Bint Jbeil, where Hezbollah had earlier said it had exchanged fire with Israeli soldiers.

An AFP correspondent saw rescuers searching for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike on the village of Shukin in southern Lebanon.

Following the Israeli strikes, air raid sirens sounded in several areas of northern Israel, including Haifa. No injuries were reported, and the military command authorized residents to leave their shelters.

Hezbollah entered the Middle East war on March 2nd to avenge the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in Tehran. Israel retaliated with large-scale, deadly airstrikes across Lebanon and a ground offensive in the south of the country.

The ceasefire agreement that came into effect overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday between Iran and the United States does not apply to Lebanon, according to Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated on Thursday that he had ordered his cabinet to engage in "direct negotiations" with Lebanon "as soon as possible", particularly on the disarmament of Hezbollah.