CAIRO (AP) — This week saw a dizzying escalation in the 11-month-old conflict between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. First came two days of exploding pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah — deadly attacks pinned on Israel that also maimed civilians around Lebanon.

The Israeli military said today that it had bombed an apartment building in Beirut’s southern suburbs and killed a major figure in Hezbollah’s military command. The strike stoked fears that Israel is driving toward a full-blown war against Hezbollah.

Israel’s military said the strike targeted a senior Hezbollah member wanted by the U.S. for a series of bombings in the 1980s.