Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea on Monday warned that “the only thing that can save Lebanon from inevitable collapse” is for the Lebanese government to “declare Hezbollah an outlawed organization,” after the group fired rockets on Israel and the Israeli army began a wave of airstrikes on Lebanon.

“For the record: for twenty years, we left no stone unturned in our efforts to spare Lebanon this critical moment. But, alas … what we have reached today is neither surprising nor strange, given the nature of Hezbollah and its integral role within the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Geagea said in a post on X.

Israel's military said Monday there was no reason to launch a ground invasion of Lebanon "imminently" after an overnight attack from Hezbollah prompted Israel to retaliate with air strikes.

"There is nothing on the ground that constitutes going into ground invasion.. imminently," military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told journalists on whether Israel would send troops in Lebanon.

Israel's military said Monday it struck a senior Hezbollah operative in Beirut, with the defense minister saying the Lebanese group's chief Naim Qassem is "a marked target".

"A short while ago, the (Israeli military) precisely struck a senior Hezbollah terrorist in Beirut," the military said. AFPTV showed smoke rising from the southern Beirut district of Dahieh, a stronghold of Hezbollah.

Israel’s military chief Eyal Zamir said fighting against Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which began early Monday, could take "many" more days.

"We have launched an offensive campaign against Hezbollah," Zamir said in a video shared by the military on Monday, hours after rocket fire claimed by Hezbollah prompted a wave of Israeli strikes on Lebanon. "We must be prepared for several days of fighting, many."

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned rocket fire launched at Israel on Monday, as the Israeli military launched a series of strikes across Lebanon in response.

"Regardless of who is behind it, the rocket fire from southern Lebanon is an irresponsible and suspicious act that endangers Lebanon’s security and safety and gives Israel pretexts to continue its attacks on it," Salam said on X.

Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed at least 31 people on Monday, authorities said, following rocket fire from Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah after the killing of Iran's supreme leader.

Israel's military vowed to intensify its attacks on the country and make Hezbollah pay a "heavy price" after launching several strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs and south Lebanon, areas where Hezbollah holds sway.

The Israeli military told residents of about 50 towns and villages in Lebanon to evacuate on Monday, warning of imminent attacks against Hezbollah militants, following rocket fire at Israel.

"For your safety, evacuate your homes immediately and move at least 1,000 meters away from your village to open areas," an army spokeswoman said in a statement on X, listing localities in the country's south and east.

Projectiles fired from Lebanon triggered air raid sirens in northern Israel, the Israeli military said on Monday, adding it had intercepted one of them.

Lebanon and France postponed on Sunday an upcoming conference to support the Lebanese Army and security forces, a joint statement by both countries' presidencies said, citing unfavorable conditions in the region.

Thousands of Hezbollah supporters gathered in Beirut's southern suburbs to mourn Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday, chanting "death to America, death to Israel" while crying over the killed figure.