"This is just the beginning and the Lebanese government and the State of Lebanon will pay an increasing price in damage to Lebanese national infrastructure used by Hezbollah terrorists due to terrorist activity and launches at the State of Israel," Katz said at a meeting with army top brass.

He warned the Lebanese government it would incur greater damage to infrastructure "and loss of territory -- until it fulfils its central commitment of disarming Hezbollah".

Katz said the bridge over the Litani river was destroyed overnight as it served "as a crossing for Hezbollah terrorists and for the transfer of weapons to southern Lebanon".

That came after Hezbollah fired 200 rockets at Israel overnight from Wednesday to Thursday in the biggest barrage since renewed fighting started this month.

The Israeli military has been battling Tehran-backed Hezbollah since the group began firing rockets into Israel on the second day of joint US-Israeli strikes against Iran.

Israel has sent troops over the border into southern Lebanon, conducting aerial bombardments on the area as well as striking the capital city Beirut and other parts of the country.