Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has issued a warning to Hezbollah as Israeli forces and the Lebanese Shia militant group continue to exchange armed attacks.

Reuters says Gallant told reporters on Wednesday during his visit to Washington that Israel's military is capable of taking Lebanon "back to the Stone Age" in any war with Hezbollah militants.

But he stressed that the Israeli government prefers a diplomatic solution to the conflict on the Israel-Lebanon border.

As intermittent clashes continue between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters, Reuters reported on Thursday that at least five civilians were injured in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested on Sunday the possibility of moving some of Israel's troops to the border with Lebanon to combat Hezbollah.

This is raising international concerns about a possible expansion of the conflict in the region.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced Netanyahu on Wednesday, saying that his plan to spread the war would lead to catastrophe.

UN Under-Secretary-General Martin Griffiths, who serves as the chief of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, expressed worry to reporters about the potential for further tragedy.