The Israeli military said dozens of warplanes were striking Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon late Saturday, as cross-border exchanges intensify amid growing fears of all-out war.

"In the last hour we are attacking widely in southern Lebanon following the identification of Hezbollah's preparations to fire into Israeli territory," military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement shortly after 8:00 pm (1700 GMT), adding that "dozens of air force aircraft" were involved in the operation.

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The arabic spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, wrote in a statement on X that "dozens of warplanes" had currently attacking Hezbollah sites and missile launchers.

Strikes across southern Lebanon

He added that its air forces targeted 400 Hezbollah missile platforms on Saturday.

According to L'Orient Today's correspondent, Mountasser Abdalla, on Saturday evening at least three attacks targeted the Tefahta Valley, in the Zahrani district south of Saida. For the first time, valleys located near Roum (Jezzine district) were targeted by the Israeli air force. Fires were caused by these strikes, residents reported. The villages of Zahrani, Nabatieh, Jezzine, and Tyre districts were also struck, as well as the locality of Ain Kana, in Iqlim al-Touffah, and Jbal Botm (Tyre district). The Froun Valley (Bint Jbeil district) was targeted, as well as Naqoura (Tyre district) and the surroundings of Jarjou.

The Israeli army added that it is "ready for the next steps and remain at a high state of readiness, both offensively and defensively".

"Air Force aircraft are armed and ready to attack everywhere. Air defense systems remain deployed and ready to intercept threats", the statement concluded.