BEIRUT : Fighting flared in Lebanon on Friday, with authorities reporting 21 killed in Israeli airstrikes and Israel announcing the deaths of four of its soldiers.

The violence is the worst since the sealing of a US-Iran deal to halt the wider Middle East war, which was supposed to also pause fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The deaths of the soldiers drew a furious reaction in Israel, with far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir saying “Lebanon must burn”.

“Intensive” strikes across Lebanon’s south killed 18 people and wounded 33, the country’s health ministry said, while in the eastern Baalbek area another three people were killed, with six wounded.

Video from AFPTV showed hundreds of cars packing roads in the city of Saida as people attempted to flee southern areas.

Israel’s military said it hit scores of targets overnight and into the morning.

“The IDF (military) struck more than 80 command centres, terrorists, launch positions, and additional terrorist infrastructure sites in the area of Nabatieh and additional areas in southern Lebanon,” an army statement said.

“During the strikes, dozens of Hezbollah terrorists operating in the command centres were eliminated.”

Iran-backed Hezbollah, meanwhile, said it was attacking Israeli forces around the southern town of Nabatieh.

It vowed to defend Lebanon’s territory and people, accusing Israel of violating a ceasefire and denying it had itself broken the truce.

The group said “the enemy has never complied with any ceasefire agreement”.

A truce meant to have taken effect in April did little to stop attacks from either side.

Israeli strikes also targeted the Baalbek region in the east of Lebanon, which had been largely spared since the start of the conflict on March 2.

Israel said its strikes in Baalbek and the Bekaa Valley were in response to “repeated violations of the ceasefire by Hezbollah”.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned Israel’s latest attacks, saying they “constitute a dangerous escalation” and undermined “ongoing efforts to consolidate the ceasefire and end the war”.