Israel is ramping up attacks on Hezbollah, in an apparent drive to cow the group into a diplomatic solution. It’s a risky approach that could backfire long-term.

Israel struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and the Iran-backed group attacked military facilities in northern Israel.

Israel's allies and critics believe the way to cool this crisis is to get a ceasefire in Gaza - but no agreement is in sight.

Calls for immediate de-escalation between Israel and Hezbollah are growing louder after airstrikes killed hundreds in Lebanon on Monday. The U.S. is sending more troops to the Middle East, bolstering its presence in the region.

Since then, Hezbollah has continued to design its attacks to stay below the threshold of a full-scale conflagration. The group has continuously pressured northern Israel, forcing an estimated 80,000 civilians to evacuate their homes (creating a political challenge for the Israeli governing coalition) and forcing the IDF to allocate limited air defense,

Hezbollah fired more than 100 rockets early Sunday across northern Israel, with some landing near the city of Haifa, and Israel launched hundreds of strikes on Lebanon. A Hezbollah leader declared that an "open-ended battle" was underway as both sides appeared to be spiraling closer toward all-out war.

By bne Gulf bureau Lebanon's Hezbollah said on September 24 that it had used a new type of missile, the Fadi 3, for the first time in attacks on Israeli positions, marking an escalation in the ongoing conflict.