Israel says senior Hezbollah figures, including a top military commander, were killed in an air strike on the Lebanese capital Beirut on Friday, in a major escalation that has added to fears of an all-out war.

Lebanon's Iran-aligned Hezbollah group confirmed in the early hours of Saturday that its top military commander Ibrahim Aqil was killed, calling him "one of its top leaders", without providing further details on his killing.

Israel is attempting a risky strategy, increasing the intensity of its attacks in an attempt to force Hezbollah to back down, while raising the chances of an aggressive response that devolves into a land war.