The Israeli military pounded Beirut's southern suburbs with airstrikes on Tuesday, mounting one of its heaviest daytime attacks yet on the Hezbollah-controlled area, and struck the middle of the country where more than 20 people were killed.

Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut's southern suburbs were hit by at least 12 heavy airstrikes on Tuesday, security sources and eyewitnesses said, as Israel's newly appointed defence minister rejected any talk of a possible ceasefire.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the first time admitted that Israel was behind the pager and walkie-talkie attacks on Hezbollah in September that left at least 39 people dead and more than 3,000 injured,