ISRAEL’S government ordered an air attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Monday, a day after its ground forces reached their deepest point in Lebanon in 26 years.

It follows a rocket bombardment of northern Israel by Hezbollah, including the outskirts of the coastal city of Haifa.

A joint statement by Israel’s far-right Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said that following what they called repeated violations of the ceasefire by Hezbollah and the “attacks against our cities and citizens,” they have ordered the Israeli military to attack targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs, known in Arabic as Dahiyeh.

Hezbollah agreed to halt attacks on Israel when the ceasefire was signed in mid-April, but resumed following Israeli strikes in Lebanon that Israel characterised as self-defence.

After Monday’s warning, large numbers of people were seen fleeing Dahiyeh, jamming roads leading out of the suburb, where Hezbollah enjoys wide support.

Israeli air strikes overnight on southern Lebanon left six people dead, including a Syrian citizen in a village near the city of Nabatiyeh, the National News Agency said.

Israel struck other towns and villages near the major city, close to the strategic Beaufort Castle and other nearby towns.

The Israeli military, meanwhile, said its air force had intercepted two projectiles launched from Lebanon toward Israeli territory, as well as a suspicious aerial target in the area where Israeli soldiers operate in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah said it carried out rocket and missile attacks on northern Israel on Sunday. It said early yesterday that it attacked Israeli troops in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, just north of the Litani river, and struck what they said was Israeli military infrastructure in Tiberias, a few dozen miles south of the border.

The latest attacks came despite a nominal ceasefire that has been in place since April 17 and just before Lebanon and Israel hold their next round of direct talks in Washington starting today.