A top United Nations official on Friday urged all countries with influence over Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah "to leverage it now" to avoid an escalation of Middle East violence that she warned could dwarf the devastation seen so far.

Israel is attempting a risky strategy, increasing the intensity of its attacks in an attempt to force Hezbollah to back down, while raising the chances of an aggressive response that devolves into a land war.

The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon continued escalating Friday as the Israeli military says it killed about a dozen top Hezbollah members in a rare airstrike in Beirut. Chris Livesay reports from Tel Aviv.