Tensions are escalating along the Israeli-Lebanese border as Israel and Hezbollah exchanged fire on Thursday, raising fears of a broader conflict in the region. The skirmishes follow a series of deadly incidents involving explosive devices used by the Iranian-backed terrorist organization.
On Thursday morning, the Israeli Air Force carried out heavy bombardments on Hezbollah cells in Lebanon, as Hezbollah's secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, addressed the attacks. Nasrallah acknowledged the devastating impact on Hezbollah, calling the incidents an “unprecedented” blow but vowed that the group would continue fighting until the conflict in Gaza ends.
The backup communication devices, originally thought to be secure, had been tampered with en route to Hezbollah. The New York Times reported that Nasrallah declared the attacks crossed “all red lines,” calling for retribution. The explosions resulted in at least 37 deaths, including two children, and over 3,000 injuries.
“Indeed, we have endured a severe and cruel blow,” Mr. Nasrallah said, calling the attack that targeted Hezbollah operatives “perhaps unprecedented.” In his first public remarks since the extraordinary attacks this week, Mr. Nasrallah did not say how Hezbollah would retaliate. “I will not speak about time, or form, or place,” he said.
As Nasrallah spoke, Israeli jets deliberately broke the sound barrier over Beirut in a not-so-subtle display of military might.
The attacks on pagers and walkie-talkies this week — widely attributed to Israel — have increased fears of a wider regional war that could draw in both Iran, which backs Hezbollah, and the United States, Israel's most important ally.
In a report on the cross-border skirmishes, The Times noted that “Israel and the Lebanese militia group Hezbollah traded cross-border attacks overnight. Two anti-tank missiles fired from Lebanon toward the Upper Galilee region of Israel injured eight people, according to Israel's public broadcaster. Israel's military said it had struck Hezbollah targets including a weapons storage facility in southern Lebanon.”
The Lebanese army said that it was carrying out controlled explosions on pagers and other communication devices around Lebanon on Thursday. Traffic was diverted late Wednesday after the Lebanese army detonated a radio device close to downtown Beirut, the army said in a statement, and a walkie talkie was also detonated on Wednesday evening in the parking lot of the American University of Beirut Medical Center, according to Dr. Salah Zeineddine, the hospital's chief medical officer.
The Israeli military announced the death of two Israeli soldiers killed during combat in northern Israel on Thursday, including one with the rank of major. It did not elaborate on the circumstances.
U.S. officials claimed they were unaware of the attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday in advance, except for a brief heads-up from Israel 20 minutes before the first wave of explosions.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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