When streams of bloodied people converged on Lebanon's hospitals on Tuesday, it was a test of whether the crisis-hit health sector could cope with a mass casualty event like what could be expected in a wider war with Israel.

Another wave of blasts was reported a day after at least a dozen people were killed and thousands were wounded when pagers carried by members of Hezbollah detonated almost simultaneously.

Israel and Lebanon came closer to all-out war on Thursday as the death toll rose to 37 from explosions involving a slew of Lebanese communication devices and Hezbollah's leader vowed retribution. About 3,