BEIRUT

An entire family of five was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon on Friday evening, Lebanese state news agency reported.

The National News Agency (NNA) said the Israeli airstrike on the southern Ain Qana town killed Lebanese citizen Ni'mat-Allah Hussein Mallah, his wife and his three children and completely destroyed their home.

The agency also reported that in the past few hours, the Israeli warplanes also struck the southern towns of Ramadiyeh, Jebcheit, Al-Shaitiya, Jouaiyya and Khirbet Selm.

Israel launched an air campaign in Lebanon against what it claims are targets of the Hezbollah group in late September, in an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare.

Over 3,400 people have been killed, nearly 14,600 injured and more than 1 million people displaced by Israeli attacks since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Despite international warnings that the Middle East region was on the brink of a regional war, Tel Aviv expanded the conflict by launching a ground assault into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar​​​​​​​