Amid fears of an expanding war in the Middle East following mass detentions of bombs surreptitiously planted in Hezbollah communication devices, Israel continued its assault of the Iran-backed militia overnight.

Hezbollah admits Israel dealt a severe blow with exploding pagers and walkie talkies, but neither side seems to heed U.S. calls to avoid a wider war.

Israel carried out extensive air strikes across southern Lebanon on Thursday, stepping up hostilities after it declared a “new phase” of war against militant group Hezbollah in the area.