Israel intercepted a missile fired by Hezbollah near Tel Aviv on Wednesday, an unprecedented attack by the militant group that reached deep into the country’s commercial heartlands and marked a new escalatory step in the conflict between the two sides.

Hezbollah’s attempt to strike Israel’s economic capital follows the IDF’s large-scale aerial bombardment campaign in southern Lebanon, which resulted in more than 500 deaths.

A top Israeli military official hinted to soldiers of a possible ground invasion as the United States and France drafted a cease-fire proposal to try to stave off a broader conflict.