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A photo taken on September 18, 2024, in Beirut's southern suburbs shows the remains of exploded pagers on display at an undisclosed location.

The Israeli military launched a new wave of attacks against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Thursday, after two days of device explosions that left the Middle East fearing all-out war.

The attack on southern Lebanon involved airstrikes and artillery but Israeli ground forces had not crossed the border, an Israeli official told NBC News.

The Israel Defense Forces announced the strikes — which it said were aimed at degrading the group's "capabilities and infrastructure" — just as the leader of the Iran-backed militant and political group began a much-anticipated response to the stunning attacks using walkie-talkies and pagers.

At least 37 people, including two children, were killed and thousands more injured across Lebanon, the country's health minister said early Thursday — a rising toll from the wave of attacks that left the country reeling and the region on the brink.

As the world urged against further escalation after months of devastating war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Israel indicated its focus had shifted to its northern border with Lebanon, declaring a "new phase" to its simmering monthslong conflict with Hezbollah.

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