Amid Israel’s effort to return tens of thousands of its citizens to their homes in the north, the Jewish state reportedly launched an operation to knock out Hezbollah’s infrastructure in Lebanon.

What strategic purpose did it serve? And what effect is it likely to have on the various conflicts in the region?

The source of Wednesday’s explosions was not immediately clear but the blasts came a day after thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah blew up across Lebanon.