JERUSALEM, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Israeli fighter jets pounded Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon late on Thursday, striking hundreds of rocket launcher barrels that were set to be used to immediately fire toward Israeli territory, the military said.

It said that since the afternoon, fighter jets struck some 100 rocket launchers consisting of about 1,000 barrels.

"The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) will continue to operate to degrade the Hezbollah terrorist organization’s infrastructure and capabilities in order to defend the State of Israel," the IDF said.

The intense barrage followed attacks earlier in the week attributed by Lebanon and Hezbollah to Israel that blew up Hezbollah radios and pagers, killing 37 people and wounding about 3,000 in Lebanon.

In Thursday's late operation, Israel launched dozens of bombs across southern Lebanon, three Lebanese security sources said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israel will keep up military action against Hezbollah.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah after a week of escalation. The U.S. has also expressed fears of further escalation.

On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to return tens of thousands of residents evacuated from northern border areas to their homes. Hezbollah

In a show of support with Hamas after the Oct. 7 attacks, Iran-backed Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel, forcing many residents to flee to the center of the country. Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire daily since.

Photo from AFP