Israel escalated its bombardment of south Lebanon overnight on Friday, killing at least five militant fighters, following a speech by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in which he described the Iranian embassy strike in Damascus as a "turning point".
Three of the fighters killed belonged to the Amal Movement, a Hezbollah-allied political party that officially joined the conflict in February. The other two were members of Hezbollah.
The hours before and after Mr Nasrallah’s Quds Day speech – highly anticipated following Israel’s strike on the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus on April 1 – were tense. The strike sparked fears of a broader escalation, with Israel temporarily closing at least 28 embassies following the threat of retaliation.