Israel's military said Thursday it had struck and killed a close adviser to Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem in Beirut a day earlier, when Israeli strikes pummelled Lebanon.

"Yesterday, the IDF struck in the Beirut area and eliminated Ali Yusuf Harshi, the personal secretary and nephew of Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem," a military statement said.

Harshi was "a close associate and personal adviser to... Qassem and played a central role in managing and securing his office", it added.

Earlier, Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah had said it fired rockets towards Israel in response to its "violation" of the US-Iran truce. Hezbollah said it has a "right" to respond to Israeli strikes across Lebanon.

"In response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire agreement," Hezbollah targeted the Israeli kibbutz of Manara near the border with Lebanon "with a rocket barrage" early Thursday, Hezbollah said in a statement.

Lebanon has declared a day of mourning after attacks killed over 254 people and injured more than 1,165 in a single day. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire between the US and Iran.

This is a position US Vice President JD Vance has echoed: "We never made that promise."Pakistan, which mediated the ceasefire, differs.

Its Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the truce included a pause in fighting in Lebanon. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has insisted the "terms are clear and warned that Washington must choose between a ceasefire or "continued war via Israel".

Source:Ndtv