Israeli forces late Thursday carried out their most intense strike on southern Lebanon in nearly one year of war, increasing tensions between the two countries despite international calls for calm. In the operation,

Explosions continued Wednesday in Lebanon, killing at least 20 people. The Lebanese government and Hezbollah blame Israel for the apparently coordinated attack. Israel’s defense minister said they are “at the start of a new phase in the war.

Additional explosions linked to electronic devices caused more deaths and injuries a day after pagers used by Hezbollah exploded, wounding thousands.

The deadly Hezbollah-pager explosions are causing mounting distrust, with some Lebanon residents abandoning their electronic devices.

Israel launched a series of strikes on Hezbollah targets Thursday as the war against the Lebanon-based group widened in the wake of two consecutive days of deadly explosions triggered in wireless devices.