The Israeli military on Monday said its own artillery fire killed an Israeli civilian a day earlier near the northern border with Lebanon, where its forces are fighting Hezbollah.

After opening an investigation, the military said "the initial findings suggest that the Israeli civilian was killed by IDF artillery fire conducted to support IDF soldiers operating in southern Lebanon".

Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir has approved plans for the "next phase" of the war against Hezbollah, saying the battle against the Lebanese Iran-backed group "has only just begun."

Israel said it struck "Hezbollah" targets in south Lebanon on Sunday shortly after the military was ordered to destroy bridges allegedly used by the Iran-backed group across the Litani River.

Benjamin Netanyahu must soon decide when to hold Israel’s next elections. With war raging on multiple fronts and no end in sight, Israel’s enemies in Iran and Lebanon may help make that decision for him.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that the army had been ordered to destroy more bridges over the Litani river being used by Hezbollah in south Lebanon and to step up the demolition of houses.

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I instructed the IDF (army) to immediately destroy all the bridges over the Litani River that are used for terrorist activity, in order to prevent Hezbollah terrorists and weapons from moving south," Katz said in a statement.

Israel said rocket fire from Lebanon killed one person on Sunday as Hezbollah said it attacked soldiers in northern Israel, the first fatality there in fire from Lebanon since the latest war erupted.

During almost three weeks of war in Lebanon, British-Palestinian doctor Ghassan Abu-Sittah has had no respite, telling AFP he has been working "against the clock" to save children wounded in Israeli bombardment.

Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir said Saturday that "the Northern Command has approved plans to continue the fighting" against Hezbollah.

"There will be no more containment, only initiative and attack," Zamir said.

The Israeli military said it launched a wave of strikes on Beirut's southerb suburbs, claiming to target Iran-backed Hezbollah early Saturday, while Lebanese state media reported strikes in the country's south.

Hezbollah denied that it has a presence inside the United Arab Emirates, after Emirati authorities announced they had arrested at least five members of a "terrorist network" linked to Hezbollah and its backer, Iran.