Israel has ordered all residents in southern Lebanon to leave the area on Sunday, shortly after Hizbollah's rockets killed nine people in the Israeli northern city of Haifa, Lebanese ANB TV reported.

According to the report, the warning had been issued, but the Israeli military did not explain details about the withdrawal.

Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post, meanwhile, reported on its website Sunday that Israel believes it has a 48-72-hour "window of opportunity" to pound Hizbollah and damage its operational capabilities.

Reports reaching here said that rockets fired by Hizbollah on Sunday killed nine Israelis and wounded more than a dozen of others in Haifa, Israel's third largest city.

Israeli medics were quoted as saying that Haifa was hit byabout 20 rockets, including one that struck a railway station.

Hizbollah said the attack was retaliation for Israel's recent killings of Lebanese civilians and destruction of the country's infrastructure.