The chief of the general staff of the Israeli military has hinted at a possible ground operation in Lebanon. Herzi Halevi made the comments while addressing troops on Israel's northern border.

His remarks came after Hezbollah expanded its range of fire into central Israel. On Wednesday, the Lebanese Shia Muslim group announced it had fired a ballistic missile at the headquarters of the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, in the suburbs of the economic capital Tel Aviv. That is the group's deepest strike into Israel yet.

One local man said: "We were kind of expecting that at some point the attacks will reach the Tel Aviv area. We hope that it will not continue."

Another resident said: "There are no good options. Things will continue to deteriorate and get worse and worse."

Israel has been carrying out heavy airstrikes across Lebanon. On Wednesday, it hit more than 280 targets linked with Hezbollah, including sites used for rocket launches. Lebanese health authorities said more than 50 people were killed.

The Israeli military announced it has entered a "new phase" and must prepare for "maneuvering and action." It called up soldiers from two reserve brigades for missions near the border.

Halevi said: "We have been carrying out strikes all day. This is both to prepare the ground for possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah."

He said the goal is to allow Israelis in the north to return their homes safely.