Israeli ministers authorise Netanyahu retaliation against Hezbollah

Israel's security cabinet has authorised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister to decide when and how to retaliate for a deadly rocket attack Israel and the US say was carried out by the Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah.

Ministers met in emergency session in the wake of the strike on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday evening, which killed 12 children and teenagers from the Druze community. Hezbollah has denied responsibility.

It was the deadliest cross-border incident in months of exchanges of fire between the two sides.

The attack has heightened fears that what has been relatively contained hostilities so far could spiral into all-out war.