Beirut: Israeli warplanes buzzed Lebanon's capital on August 11 after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon considered following up on air strikes on the country launched in retaliation over the death of an Israeli in cross-border fire from the Hezbollah militia.

Sonic booms from low-flying Israeli warplanes shook Beirut residents awake shortly after 01:00 hours (03:30 hours IST).

The flights followed a meeting Sharon held late August 10 with his military chiefs to discuss "a range of Israeli retaliatory options" in case of further Hezbollah attacks, security sources in Jerusalem said.

Air strikes were among the options agreed upon, they said.

"Israel cannot just do nothing in the face of these attacks, but we do not want a military escalation with Syria and Lebanon," an Israeli official said after the meeting, asking not to be named.

Israeli warplanes on August 10 carried out an air strike on South Lebanon after an Israeli was killed and five wounded in cross-border fire in what Israel said was the second border attack in three days by Hezbollah, fuelling fears in the Jewish state of the reopening of a Northern front after a seven-month lull.

The Israeli military said the raid on a hill outside the village of Tayr Harfa destroyed the gun used by fighters of the radical Shiite Muslim militia to lob the deadly shells.

Local residents said a Hezbollah anti-aircraft post took a direct hit, but no information on casualties was available.