Khaled Meshal, one of Hamas’s most senior officials, said in an interview that the militant group expects to play a decisive role in the enclave when the war is over.

The absence of a full-blown war in Lebanon has been touted as a core U.S. achievement, but now Washington’s grip on the crisis appears more tenuous than ever.

Daily exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel have been destructive, disruptive and sometimes deadly. An escalation could risk starting a wider regional conflict.

The Israeli military said it was striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Thursday, shortly before the movement's leader was due to give a speech. It also said the military chief of staff had approved plans for Israel's north,

The Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, did not say how his group would respond to attacks on hand-held devices, which killed dozens when pagers and walkie-talkies exploded.

Hezbollah and the Israeli military traded new strikes over the border on Thursday. Fears are increasing that 11 months of exchanges of fire between the two sides will escalate into all-out war. Hassan Nasrallah,