Israel has carried out the most intense air strikes on Lebanon in nearly four months, after several rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel for the first time since a ceasefire came into effect in November.

Israel launched strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday, killing at least seven people, authorities here said, in response to rockets fired from across the border earlier in the day. The exchange was the largest since the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect late last year.