Israels focus shifts north as tensions climb after Hezbollah pager blasts – National [Video]

Hezbollah fired a new barrage into northern Israel on Thursday, continuing its drumbeat of exchanges with the Israeli military as fears of a greater conflict rise after hundreds of electronic devices exploded in Lebanon, killing at least 32 people and wounding more than 3,000 others.

The device explosions appeared to be the culmination of a monthslong operation by Israel to target as many Hezbollah members as possible all at once. Over two days, pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah detonated, wounding and even crippling some fighters, but also maiming civilians connected to the group’s social branches and killing at least two children.

It was unclear how the attack fit into warnings by Israeli leaders in recent weeks that they could launch a stepped-up military operation against Hezbollah, Lebanon’s strongest armed force. The Israeli government has said its aim is to end the Iranian-backed group’s crossborder fire in order to allow tens of thousands of Israelis to return to homes …