Israel strikes Lebanon and continues to target Gaza Strip

The Israeli military said it targeted installations of Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, in southern Lebanon

Lebanese check power transformer poles that were destroyed by an Israeli airstrike (Mohammad Zaatari/AP)

Israel launched rare strikes in southern Lebanon early Friday and pressed on with bombing targets in the Gaza Strip, marking a widening escalation in the region following violence this week at Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site.

The cross-border fighting erupted during a time of heightened religious fervour when Jews are celebrating the Passover holiday and Muslims are marking the Ramadan holy month.