Israel has warned residents of dozens of villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate as airstrikes around Beirut intensify and Hezbollah reports more attacks.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has told a White House event the US is striking Iranian drone and missile systems "every single hour".

By Maya Gebeily, Maayan Lubell and Jana Choukeir BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, March 3 (Reuters) - Lebanon was pulled deeper into the war in the Middle East on Tuesday as the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah launched missiles at Israel for a second consecutive day and Israel sent troops into the south and carried out waves of airstrikes.

According to the Israeli military, soldiers have been positioned at several points along the border in southern Lebanon to strengthen defensive positions.

Israel launched a fresh wave of strikes across the region, with several people reportedly killed in attacks on Lebanon that the IDF says were targeting Hezbollah operatives and facilities. The army is now ordering civilians in southern Lebanon to leave "immediately" ahead of military action

The IDF carries out broad strikes on Hezbollah and Hamas terror targets in southern Lebanon, including weapons depots and launchers in Tyre and Sidon.

Many people in Lebanon are fleeing their homes after Hezbollah launched missiles into Israel from Lebanon in response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and Israel retaliated