The report, citing an Israeli military spokesman, said that five Israeli soldiers were killed and dozens of soldiers wounded in the fighting in Lebanon on Sunday.

Israeli troops battled Hezbollah guerrillas across southern Lebanon Sunday and air strikes battered Beirut's suburbs as the Israeli army pressed on with its offensive in the hours until a U.N.-brokered truce begins.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Hezbollah fired over 200 rockets on Sunday across cities and towns in north Israel, despite a UNSC resolution approved by both Israel and Lebanon.

The fresh attack came a few hours after the Israeli cabinet approved the UN Security Council Resolution 1701 to end hostilities in Lebanon.

The resolution, which was also accepted by Lebanese cabinet on Saturday night, calls for Israel's withdrawal and authorizes an increase of the existing UN force in Lebanon to 15,000 troops to help Lebanese government troops take control of south Lebanon as Israel withdraws.