Israel announced Thursday that its air force struck and killed a Hezbollah commander, as its military continued its barrage of Lebanon despite ongoing international calls for a cease-fire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed the military would maintain its bombardment of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon indefinitely, undermining efforts by the US and allies to secure a cease-fire that would ease the risk of a regional war.

Israel rejected global calls on Thursday for a ceasefire with the Hezbollah movement, defying its biggest ally in Washington and pressing ahead with strikes that have killed hundreds in Lebanon and heightened fears of an all-out regional war.