The Israeli military said it had carried out a targeted strike in Beirut on Friday which security sources in Lebanon said had hit near key Hezbollah facilities in the southern suburbs of the city, marking a sharp escalation of the conflict between the sides.

In a statement this morning, the IDF says its air force hit several Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon overnight. The targets included military buildings and a weapons store, it says. More than 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel on Wednesday, according to Israeli media.

Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with 140 rockets Friday, a day after the militant group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed to retaliate against Israel for a mass bombing attack, the Israeli military and the militant group said.

As the broadcast was aired, deafening sonic booms from Israeli warplanes shook Beirut, a sound that has become common in recent months but has taken on a greater significance as t

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As tensions remained high Friday between Hezbollah and Israel, international leaders called for both sides to seek paths to de-escalate the conflict.