Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to intensify strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon with the aim of "crushing" the armed group. The announcement was made in a video statement released on Monday night, signalling a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict.

This directive comes despite a "ceasefire" agreement that was put in place with Lebanon last month and has since been extended. Netanyahu stated that Israel's military would not be easing its efforts, but rather "step on the gas even more."

Following the Prime Minister's declaration, the Israeli military reported launching attacks on Hezbollah infrastructure in the Bekaa Valley and other locations across Lebanon. Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) indicated that this announcement prompted an exodus of residents from the southern suburbs of Beirut, a known stronghold for Hezbollah.

The decision to escalate military actions coincided with Lebanon's commemoration of Liberation Day, marking the anniversary of Israeli troops' withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000 after an 18-year occupation. The escalation also occurs amidst daily Israeli strikes targeting southern Lebanon.

Earlier on Monday, Israeli forces conducted barrages of attacks in the Tyre and Nabatieh districts. In the town of Kfar Reman, Nabatieh district, four people were killed and three others injured. Residential buildings and a Shia Muslim community centre in Nabatieh's al-Midan neighbourhood were reportedly damaged by several strikes.

NNA also reported that Israeli aircraft deployed incendiary phosphorus munitions on forests in the Qlailah municipality, resulting in fires that affected citrus groves and farmland. The use of phosphorus munitions, which ignite upon contact with oxygen, is a matter of international concern, particularly when employed in populated areas.

The intensification of hostilities follows an incident earlier on Monday where the Israeli army reported that one soldier was killed and another severely injured by a drone strike during combat operations in southern Lebanon. The injured soldier was evacuated for medical treatment.

The call for increased military action aligns with demands from far-right coalition partners within Netanyahu's government, some of whom have publicly urged a resumption of bombing campaigns targeting Beirut.