Israel says troops carrying out cross-border raids in Lebanon are engaged in "intense fighting" with Hezbollah militants.

Israel has pummeled Lebanon with an unprecedented airstrike campaign over the last two weeks, killing over 1,400 people, injuring nearly 7,500 others and displacing more than one million people from their homes,

Israel said on Wednesday eight of its soldiers were killed in combat in south Lebanon as its forces thrust into its northern neighbour in a campaign against the Hezbollah armed group.