Israeli strike on Lebanon is the escalation that had been feared

Israel is not letting up its pressure on Hezbollah.

This latest attack is once again taking the fight into Hezbollah’s heartland, and seemingly high up its command structure.

It was a targeted strike on a residential building in the heart of Beirut's southern suburbs.

The fear of such a strike had grown since the pager and radio attacks earlier this week.

A political source I spoke with last night told me there was fear of an attack further north, likely on Beirut.

Behind their thinking was the knowledge that Israel had gone ahead, earlier than planned, on the pager and walkie-talkie plan.

Of course, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied being responsible, but my source advised that the original thinking was to wait longer to target Hezbollah, so the attacks could be a precursor to a land invasion.

But because of fears the plot had been discovered, they executed it before the military hardware was on the ground by the border.

As a result, Western governments believed the Israelis would use superior air power to continue the assault on the militant group.

Today they have.

This is the escalation that had been feared, and which could provoke a regional war.

In reality, it has already begun.

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