After Israel turned Hezbollah’s communications system against it with deadly force, officials and experts wonder if a bigger war is coming.

The death toll from a "targeted attack" by the Israeli military on a Beirut suburb Friday rose to 37, including seven women and three children, Lebanon's health minister said on Saturday, as Israel and the militant group Hezbollah continued to trade strikes. The U.S. also urged Americans in Lebanon to leave the country.

Israel’s attack on Hezbollah’s communication devices raised expectations of a decisive shift in their war of attrition. Instead, the fighting has returned to a standoff.

Israel’s government is in turmoil and the United States is trying to head off a wider conflict in Lebanon, leaving officials to wonder about the timing of the attack.

As a result, the Israeli government is restricting outdoor activities and has launched emergency guidelines for civilians

Anticipating retaliation, the Israeli military restricted gatherings and raised the alert level for residents of northern communities. The alert went as far south as the coastal c

The militant group said it targeted an airbase and a developer of Israel’s Iron Dome system, while dozens of Israeli warplanes struck southern Lebanon.

The militant group targeted areas in Israel farther south than most of its previous attacks, reinforcing fears of broader regional conflict.

Israel has claimed the death of a senior Hezbollah military official after a rare Israeli airstrike in Beirut killed at least 31 people and wounded dozens more, shortly after Hezbollah pounded norther