As dozens of walkie-talkies exploded across Lebanon on Wednesday – a day after blasts targeting the pagers of Hezbollah members injured thousands – Israel said a “new era” of war was beginning, tacitly acknowledging its role in a shock operation that has pushed the region back to the brink of wider conflict.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) head of Northern Command said the IDF is at “peak readiness” amid escalating tensions with Hezbollah. After thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah exploded on September 17,

Once considered the only army with the capacity to defeat Israel, Iran-backed Hezbollah is now being portrayed in caricatures and parody memes across