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 after the defence minister ruled out a ceasefire until Israeli goals were met.

Palestinian medical officials say two Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 14 people, including two children and a woman, most of them in an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone.

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.