- Sonic booms from Israeli jets have been heard over Beirut during the speech
Hezbollah’s leader has condemned Israel following the pager blasts, saying ‘all red lines have been crossed by the enemy’ and that the deadly attacks ‘deserve a response’.
Sonic booms from Israeli jets were heard over Beirut at the same time as the group’s chief Hassan Nasrallah was making his speech.
A huge booming sound was heard on live TV, with journalists on the ground reporting that the loud noise was followed by screams, as panicked Lebanese residents brace for further escalation.
Lebanon, Hezbollah and its backer Iran have blamed Israel for two days of 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.
In his first address since the clandestine attacks began on Tuesday, Nasrallah said more than 4,000 devices were detonated with the intention of killing thousands.
‘This could be called a declaration of war,’ Nasrallah declared. ‘We have received a very hard hit, but this is the state of war. Through this experience and its lessons we will be stronger and more powerful.’
Hassan Nasrallah spoke this afternoon in his first address since the clandestine attacks began on Tuesday
Nasrallah said the explosions had ‘happened in hospitals, pharmacies, markets, shops, houses and in cars,’ as well as in the streets ‘where many civilians were along with women and children.’
‘This is the scale of criminality,’ he said. ‘What can we call this kind of criminal action – is it a big operation? Is it genocide? Is it a massacre?’
He said the death toll, which stands at 37 in total, could have been far higher, but that not all the pagers and radios had been handed out and not all fighters were with their communication devices when the blasts were triggered.
During Nasrallah’s lengthy three-part address, Israel announced that it was continuing airstrikes on Lebanon, with warning sirens ringing out in northern Israel indicating possible incoming fire.
In a statement, Israel’s defence forces said the army ‘is currently striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon to degrade Hezbollah’s terrorist capabilities and infrastructure.’
It added that it was part of efforts to return displaced Israelis to their homes in the north, months after tens of thousands of civilians were evacuated from the area amid ongoing cross-border fighting.
Thousands were injured when comms devices across Lebanon and Syria exploded on Tuesday and Wednesday
A car burns on the streets of Lebanon following an explosion
Israel’s military evacuate injured people by helicopter after an anti-tank missile was fired into Israel from Lebanon, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, September 19, 2024
In his speech today, Nasrallah vowed that the displaced Israelis ‘won’t be able to return’ to their homes.
He said his group, which has been engaged in fighting with Israel for 11 months, would not stop until the Gaza war ends, despite the two days of deadly device explosions blamed on Israel.
‘The Lebanese front will not stop until the aggression on Gaza stops’ despite ‘all this blood spilt,’ he said.
This is a breaking news story, more to follow.