After the explosion of hundreds of communications equipment belonging to the pro-Iranian Hezbollah in Lebanon, the head of the Shiite organization admitted that his militia had suffered a “serious blow”.
In his first appearance since the attacks that killed 37 people and wounded more than 2,900, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said in a live televised address on Thursday that Israel had “crossed all red lines” with the explosions.
The attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday could be seen as a declaration of war, he stressed in the long-awaited speech. He initially left open whether an open war would actually break out between the radical Islamist militia and the Israeli army. Nasrallah said the attacks on the Lebanese-Israeli border would not stop until the war in Gaza was over.
Explosion of radio receivers
Thousands of walkie-talkies exploded in Lebanon on Wednesday after hundreds of radio receivers, known as pagers, used by Hezbollah members exploded the day before. The Shiite militia blamed Israel and threatened retaliation.
Meanwhile, Israel completed preparations for an offensive against the Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon. The chief of the general staff had approved the corresponding plans, the army said in a statement on Thursday afternoon. Details were not initially known.
The Middle East conflict is moving north
Almost simultaneously, Nasrallah declared that residents of Israel’s northern regions bordering Lebanon would not be able to return to their homes and apartments. The militia will not allow this. Hezbollah hopes for an Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon, as this would provide his organization with a “historic opportunity.”
“The terrorist organization Hezbollah has turned southern Lebanon into a battlefield,” the Israeli military said in a statement. The Islamists used homes as weapons depots, dug tunnels under them and used civilians as human shields. The Israeli military operation was intended to restore security in northern Israel. Israeli Defense Minister Joav Gallant said Wednesday that the war was entering a new phase. As a result, more military units are now being moved to the northern border.
Nasrallah called the recent attacks by exploding radio receivers and walkie-talkies a bloodbath and a test for Hezbollah. Even though it has suffered a heavy blow, it will not bring it down. Hezbollah has now increased the readiness of its members and weapons systems.
A major conflict looms
The government in Jerusalem has neither acknowledged nor denied responsibility for the device’s explosions. According to a Reuters reporter, the Israeli air force sounded a sonic boom over Beirut during Nasrallah’s speech.
Iran-backed Hezbollah increased its rocket fire from Israel immediately after the Gaza war began on October 7. Since then, the two sides have exchanged fire almost daily. Tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border have fled their homes and apartments in the region. The fighting on the border has fueled concerns that the Gaza conflict could escalate into a regional conflagration. Iran and the US could also be drawn into it.
Source: Krone
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