"Lebanon Hezbollah killed up to 4,000"

Since the outbreak of conflict with Israel in October last year, Lebanon's pro-Iranian militant Hezbollah death toll could reach up to 4,000, the Times of Israel reported on the 28th local time.

"Iran-backed Hezbollah may have lost up to 4,000 people, more than 10 times the number killed in a month-long war with Israel in 2006," said a source familiar with the military operation targeting Hezbollah.

"The majority have died since September, when Israel stepped up its offensive," the source added.

Lebanon's health ministry said 3,961 people were killed and 16,520 injured in the armed conflict between Hezbollah and Israel in Lebanon from the outbreak of the Gaza war in October last year to the start of the previous day's ceasefire.

Lebanon's health ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians.

The Israeli military estimates that about 3,000 Hezbollah members were killed during the same period, the newspaper added.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a statement the day before that "since the conflict began in October last year, we have launched airstrikes on 2,500 Hezbollah targets across Lebanon," local daily Haaretz reported.