The Israeli military has launched strikes in southern Beirut, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed calls for a ceasefire in Lebanon, saying it would leave Hezbollah forces near his country’s border.

An AFP journalist saw black smoke rising from Beirut’s Haret Hreik area after two strikes, which followed an Israeli military warning for residents to evacuate.

One of the strikes targeted weapons “stockpiled by Hezbollah in an underground storage facility”, the military said.

Netanyahu’s refusal to halt the offensive came as the United States ramped up pressure on Israel, criticising the bombing of Beirut and urging more aid access for Gazans.