Israel has inflicted a series of humiliating blows on the Hezbollah militia in neighbouring Lebanon.

Israel is bombing targets across many parts of Lebanon, striking senior militants in Beirut and apparently hiding bombs in pagers and walkie-talkies. Hezbollah is firing rockets and drones deep into northern Israel,

Israel is attempting a risky strategy, increasing the intensity of its attacks in an attempt to force Hezbollah to back down, while raising the chances of an aggressive response that devolves into a land war.

Smoke billows over southern Lebanon following Israeli strikes, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as pictured from Marjayoun, near the border with Israel, September 23,

Israel says its strikes will intensify in a campaign that could include further offensive operations against Hezbollah, opening a new war front.

Air strikes across Lebanon, on the heels of last week’s pager and walkie-talkie explosions, have left the country in a state of dread.

It was the deadliest day in decades of hostilities between Israel and the militants, who stepped up their own barrage of rockets.

Residents of the northern Israeli city Kiryat Bialik assessed the damage from a Hezbollah strike on Sept. 22. Related. Live updates: Netanyahu pledges to do ‘whatever it takes a