Israeli airstrikes on Shia Muslim group Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon have killed more than 550 people and forced many residents to flee their homes.

The Israeli military on Tuesday continued its attacks on targets including buildings storing Hezbollah's weapons in southern Lebanon.

The military said it also conducted an airstrike in the capital Beirut, killing the commander of the group's missiles and rockets force.

Lebanon's health ministry said the airstrike left six people dead, bringing the casualties since Monday to 558, including 50 children and 94 women.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah began attacking a military airport in northern Israel early Tuesday. Israeli media reported that 220 rockets were fired.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the offensive against Hezbollah will continue. The Shia Muslim group has shown solidarity with Hamas.

The Lebanese government has turned public schools into shelters for people who have fled from southern regions.

About 1,000 displaced people arrived at a vocational school in the suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday.

Roads linking the south with the capital are heavily congested with evacuees' vehicles. Some said they had to drive for more than 16 hours on a route that usually takes about 2 hours.

Many people brought only the bare minimum of personal belongings. They were asking for medicine for the elderly as well as milk and diapers for babies.

One evacuee said he had nowhere to seek refuge and spent the night on the street. He expressed his desire for the fighting to end as soon as possible.

Another claimed the airstrikes targeted civilians, and he saw three missiles hit the road in front of him.
He described feeling terrified, as were his grandchildren.