The BBC also visited the southern city of Sidon, where an apartment building was destroyed in an Israeli strike.

The Israeli military issued an evacuation order in advance, describing the building as “Hezbollah military infrastructure”.

People living nearby said they believed everyone left the area following the warning and that no-one was killed.

“There was nothing here. Only people,” cafe owner Ahmed called down from the balcony of an apartment next to the destroyed building.

“Show the Israelis there’s nothing. Show them we’re civilians,” a woman said as she walked past.

A man sitting nearby said: “There are displaced people who came so maybe that’s why?”

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for an end to the hostilities, describing this as a “moment of great danger” for Lebanon.

“Everything must be done to prevent this country, so close to France, from once again being drawn into war. The Lebanese have a right to peace and security – like everyone in the Middle East,” he said in a post on X.

Macron added that he had spoken to Lebanon’s “highest authorities in order to establish a plan to bring an end to the military operations currently being carried out by Hezbollah and Israel on either side of the border”.

“Hezbollah must immediately cease its fire toward Israel. Israel must refrain from any ground intervention or large-scale operation on Lebanese territory,” he said.

The president also said that France would immediately dispatch humanitarian aid for the tens of thousands of civilians who had been displaced.

On Monday, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned Hezbollah’s actions as “irresponsible” and said his government had banned the group’s military activities.

Hezbollah’s leader Qassem insisted it had a “legitimate right” to bear arms and accused the government of turning “against the resistance to complete its error and align itself with Israeli demands”.

Under the 2024 ceasefire deal brokered by the US and France, Hezbollah was to move its fighters north of the Litani river, about 30km (20 miles) from the border, and dismantle its military infrastructure there. Israeli troops were to withdraw from southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military continued to carry out near-daily strikes on targets it said were linked to Hezbollah after the truce, accusing the group of trying to recover its military capabilities. Israeli troops also continued to occupy at least five positions in the south.