Several Israeli airstrikes have targeted a city in western Syria near the border with Lebanon, Syrian state media said.

Israel's warplanes hit Wednesday bridges and military checkpoints in the area around al-Qusayr and led to the activation of air defenses, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based opposition war monitor.

The U.N. Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday condemned attacks in recent weeks on the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL), calling on all parties to respect the safety of members of that force.

"They urged all parties to take all measures to respect the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel and premises. They recalled that peacekeepers must never be the target of an attack," the UNSC said in a statement, noting in particular attacks on October 29, November 7 and November 8.

Heavy air strikes hit the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital overnight into Thursday.

The Israeli army issued Thursday morning evacuation warnings for buildings in Choueifat's al-Amrousiyeh, Ghobeiri, Haret Hreik and Borj al-Brajneh following three rounds of overnight airstrikes.

The Israeli political-security cabinet will approve the U.S. initiative regarding Lebanon and the U.S. arrangements have reached the final stages of drafting, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported on Wednesday.

"Israel has alternative operational plans if Lebanon rejects the U.S. proposal," the report said.

Israel's new defense minister told senior commanders Wednesday that there would be no easing-up in the war against Hezbollah as he toured the northern border with Lebanon.

"We will make no ceasefires, we will not take our foot off the pedal, and we will not allow any arrangement that does not include the achievement of our war objectives," Defense Minister Israel Katz said. "We will continue to strike Hezbollah everywhere."

Hezbollah said it launched a drone attack targeting Israel's military headquarters and ministry of defense in the city of Tel Aviv on Wednesday.

In a statement, the Lebanese militant group said it conducted an "aerial attack with a squadron of exploding drones" on the site housing Israel's main defense institutions in the commercial hub.

Despite the military escalation that Lebanon witnessed over the past hours, it seems that “signs of hope are looming on the horizon,” the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television reported on Wednesday.

Any settlement that “does not guarantee Lebanon's sovereignty” cannot be accepted, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said after meeting Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut.

“We are communicating with (U.S. Secretary of State Antony) Blinken and (U.S. mediator Amos) Hochstein to speed up the ceasefire in Lebanon,” Abdelatty added.

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said Wednesday that the second phase of Israel’s ground operation in south Lebanon “will not give it the victory image it is seeking” after “its failure in the first ground campaign.”

The European Council has adopted an assistance measure under the European Peace Facility (EPF) worth €15 million to the benefit of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), the EU Delegation to Lebanon said.