Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East with consecutive electronic device blasts in Lebanon, Israel on Thursday launched significant air strikes on the southern region of the country as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah condemned the recent fatal attacks that killed at least 32 people while over 3,000 people were injured.
However, there have been reports of Hezbollah's retaliation along the border as well. Israel, according to the Associated Press, has claimed to have lost two soldiers during the exchange of strikes.
'Crossed all red lines': Hezbollah leader Nasrallah on Israel
Just before Nasrallah’s televised address, Israel confirmed new strikes. A BBC correspondent in Beirut reported hearing Israeli fighter jets breaking the sound barrier over the capital.
Hassan Nasrallah’s highly anticipated speech marked his first public response following a recent wave of attacks in Lebanon. He delivered strong criticisms against Israel.
He labeled the country as “the enemy,” claiming it had crossed “all limits, rules, and red lines” with the attacks that resulted in at least 37 fatalities and over 3,000 injuries. He condemned the incidents as a massacre, acknowledging that they dealt an unprecedented blow to his group, yet asserted that their ability to coordinate and communicate remained intact.
Nasrallah mentioned that an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attacks has been initiated. He described the actions as either war crimes or a declaration of war, stating, “This was the enemy's intention.”
While he promised a fair response, he did not specify how that would manifest. He warned that cross-border assaults on Israel would persist unless a ceasefire in Gaza is achieved, emphasizing that displaced residents in northern Israel would not be permitted to return.
Over 2,600 individuals were injured when thousands of pagers detonated on Tuesday, followed by the explosion of walkie-talkies on Wednesday.
Pager and walkie-talkie explosions in Lebanon
Israel's airstrikes came just within a day since the death of at least 20 people in multiple walkie-talkie explosions at several locations including a funeral site in Lebanon on Wednesday which itself took place within 24 hours since another deadly 'pager attack' that killed at least 12 people in Lenanon while thousands of others were injured as well.
As per reports, multiple walkie-talkies reportedly exploded in Beirut during the funeral for Hezbollah members and a child killed by exploding pagers yesterday.
On Tuesday, Hezbollah and the Lebanese government blamed Israel for what appeared to be a sophisticated remote attack that further intensified the simmering conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
