Hezbollah and Israel have traded blows in recent days, as the conflict has escalated with few off-ramps in sight to avoid total war.

The Israeli attack followed others on Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, after Hezbollah vowed to retaliate for detonations of pagers and radios.

Pagers, used every day by health care professionals, became a deadly weapon Tuesday as thousands of them simultaneously exploded in Lebanon.

The small plastic box that beeped and flashed numbers was a lifeline to Laurie Dove in 1993. Pregnant with her first baby in a house beyond any town in rural Kansas, Dove used the little black device to keep in touch with her husband as he delivered medical supplies.

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