The Israeli military said it was striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Thursday, shortly before the movement's leader was due to give a speech. It also said the military chief of staff had approved plans for Israel's north,

Israel bombed southern Lebanon on Thursday and said it had thwarted an Iran-backed assassination plot, a day after explosions of Hezbollah radios followed blasts in booby trapped pagers, setting the foes hurtling towards war.

Additional explosions linked to electronic devices caused more deaths and injuries a day after pagers used by Hezbollah exploded, wounding thousands.

Israel launched a series of strikes on Hezbollah targets Thursday as the war against the Lebanon-based group widened in the wake of two consecutive days of deadly explosions triggered in wireless devices.

By Laila Bassam and Maya Gebeily BEIRUT/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli warplanes carried out late on Thursday their most intense strikes on southern Lebanon in nearly a year of war, heightening the conflict between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah amid calls for restraint.

Israel warned residents in the north to stay inside or remain near bomb shelters Thursday after the Israeli Air Force struck Hezbollah military targets inside Lebanon.

The wave of exploding electronic devices used by Hezbollah members could be a prelude to a wider attack by Israel.