Hezbollah fighters launched "squadrons of explosive-laden drones" at an Israeli base near the town of Safed "in response to the attack and assassination carried out by the Israeli enemy in the city of Sidon" on Friday, the group said in a statement.

Israel has repeatedly targeted Hamas officials in Lebanon since the Gaza war erupted 10 months ago, with 18 fighters from the group killed in Lebanon since then, according to an AFP tally.

Ten months of cross-border violence has killed some 562 people in Lebanon, most of them fighters but also including at least 116 civilians, according to the AFP tally.

On the Israeli side, including in the occupied Golan Heights, 22 soldiers and 26 civilians have been killed, according to army figures.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.