Hezbollah says Israel to "pay price" after deadly day

"The enemy will pay the price for these crimes," Hezbollah politician Hassan Fadlallah told Reuters. "The resistance will continue to practice its legitimate right to defend its people."

Several of the armed Lebanese group's fighters were also killed in separate strikes on Wednesday, including on Nabatieh, according to the group and security sources.

Asked about the Nabatieh strike, a spokesperson for the Israeli army said on Thursday it was waiting for further information "on this event but we will update when we know further details".

The conflict between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel has played out in parallel to the Gaza war, fuelling concern about the risk of an all-out confrontation between the heavily armed adversaries.

Both sides have said they do not seek all-out war, and the conflict has largely been contained to areas near the border.

A source familiar with Hezbollah thinking said the attack on Nabatieh marked an Israeli escalation but was still within unwritten "rules of engagement".

Israel said on Wednesday it had responded to cross-border rocket fire from Lebanon which had killed one of its soldiers and hospitalised eight others in the city of Safed, about 15 km (10 miles), from the Lebanese border.

Hezbollah did not declare responsibility for that attack.