Israel’s military offensive in Lebanon escalated Thursday with strikes hitting soldiers and medics and pummeling the southern suburbs of Beirut, as Lebanese authorities said 1.2 million people had been displaced by the fighting and Israeli forces ordered more villages to evacuate in the south.

A source close to Hezbollah said Israel had conducted 11 consecutive strikes on the group's south Beirut stronghold late Thursday, in one of the most violent raids since Israel intensified its bombardment campaign last week.

The air strikes targeted weapons depots, command centers and intelligence operatives, according to the Israeli Defense Forces