Israel launches airstrikes on Lebanon after Hezbollah chief calls pagers explosions 'declaration of war'
Deadly Israeli attacks that blew up Hezbollah radios and pagers crossed all red lines, the leader of the heavily armed Lebanese movement said on Thursday, in a speech broadcast as sonic booms from Israeli warplanes shook buildings in Beirut.
Beirut: Deadly Israeli attacks that blew up Hezbollah radios and pagers crossed all red lines, the leader of the heavily armed Lebanese movement said on Thursday, in a speech broadcast as sonic booms from Israeli warplanes shook buildings in Beirut.
Lebanon and Hezbollah have blamed Israel for attacks on Hezbollah's communications equipment that killed 37 people and wounded around 3,000, overwhelming Lebanese hospitals and wreaking bloody havoc on Hezbollah. Israel has not directly commented on the attacks, which security sources say were probably carried out by its Mossad spy agency.
WATCH: Sonic booms from Israeli warplanes shook buildings in Beirut
"There is no doubt that we have been subjected to a major security and military blow that is unprecedented in the history of the resistance and unprecedented in the history of Lebanon," Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in his TV address, filmed at an undisclosed location.
Attacks "crossed all red lines": Hezbollah chief
"This type of killing, targeting and crime may be unprecedented in the world," he said, appearing in front of a featureless red background in his customary black turban. The attacks "crossed all red lines", he said. "The enemy went beyond all controls, laws and morals," he said adding the attacks "could be considered war crimes or a declaration or war, they could be called anything and they deserve to be called anything. Of course that was the intention of the enemy."
Enemy will face a severe and fair punishment: Hezbollah
Pointing to the number of pagers and walkie-talkies, he accused Israel of intending to kill thousands of people at one time. "The enemy will face a severe and fair punishment from where they expect and don’t expect.”
He said Hezbollah will continue its barrages into northern Israel as long as the war in Gaza continues, vowing that Israel will not be able to bring its people back to the border region. “The only way is stop the aggression on the people of Gaza and the West Bank,” he said. "either strikes or assassinations or an all-out war will achieve that.”
As the broadcast was aired, deafening sonic booms from Israeli warplanes shook Beirut, a sound that has become common in recent months but has taken on a greater significance as the threat of all-out war has steadily ramped up. Israel said its warplanes struck southern Lebanon overnight. Hezbollah reported that airstrikes resumed in the border area in the afternoon.
"Who can even secure their phone now?"
The attacks on Hezbollah communications equipment sowed fear across Lebanon, with people abandoning electronic devices for fear of carrying bombs in their pockets. "Who can even secure their phone now? When I heard about what happened yesterday, I left my phone on my motorcycle and walked away," said Mustafa Sibal on a street in Beirut.
The Lebanese army said on Thursday it was blowing up pagers and suspicious telecom devices in controlled blasts in different areas. It called on citizens to report any suspicious devices. Lebanese authorities banned walkie-talkies and pagers from being taken on flights from Beirut airport until further notice, the National News Agency reported. Such devices were also banned from being shipped by air.
Earlier today, Hezbollah said it had targeted three Israeli military positions near the border, two of them with drones. Israeli hospitals reported eight people lightly or moderately injured. Overnight, the military said it struck several militant sites in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah says its near-daily fire is a show of support for Hamas. Israel’s 11-month-old war with Hamas in Gaza began after its militants led the October 7 attack on Israel.
(With inputs from agency)