Israel-Hezbollah conflict – latest: Israel strikes Lebanon as Hezbollah says device blasts are ‘act of war’
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah blames Israel for attacks on group's communications devices that left 37 dead
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The Israeli military said it was striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon as the movement’s leader accused Israel of “crossing all of the red lines”, heightening fears of an escalation into a full-blown regional war.
Israeli jets were carrying out huge sonic booms over the Lebanese capital Beirut during a speech by Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday, according to a witness.
Nasrallah blamed Israel for this week's deadly attacks on the militant group's communications devices, which he called a "severe blow" and said the group is investigating.
Hand-held walkie-talkie radios used by the armed group were detonated across Lebanon’s south on Wednesday, stoking tensions after similar explosions of the group’s pagers the day before.
Lebanon's health minister said on Thursday that the death toll from the second attack in Beirut's suburbs and the Bekaa Valley has now risen to 25, with at least 608 injured. A further 12 people were killed in explosions the previous day, including two children, with nearly 2,300 wounded.
"We are opening a new phase in the war," Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said in the aftermath, adding that his country’s military focus is shifting to its northern border.
Although Israeli officials have not commented on the blasts, security sources said Israel's spy agency Mossad was responsible.
Hezbollah chief Hassan Sayyed Nasrallah said on Thursday the attacks blamed on Israel will be met with "just punishment".
At least 20 dead as walkie-talkies explode in Lebanon as Israel declares ‘new phase of war’ against Hezbollah
A war with Hezbollah may be looming. Is Israel prepared?
From booby-trapped walkie-talkies to exploding pagers – could our phones and cars be next?
Everything we know about the Hezbollah device explosions – and the questions that remain
Hezbollah pager attack mapped: Where did the explosions take place?
Full story: At least 20 dead as walkie-talkies explode in Lebanon as Israel declares ‘new phase of war’ against Hezbollah
Handheld radios used by Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon on Wednesday in a second wave of deadly blasts as Israel’s defence minister declared his country was entering a “new phase of war” on its northern border.
At least 20 people were killed and 450 injured by the detonations, Lebanon’s health ministry said.
It came 24 hours after thousands of exploding pagers killed 12 and injured almost 3,000 others in an unprecedented attack that Hezbollah has blamed on Israel.
Chief international correspondent Bel Trew and Chris Stevenson report:
At least 20 dead in walkie-talkie explosions in Lebanon
More than 450 injured across the country a day after exploding pagers killed 12 and wounded around 3,000
Israeli security services arrest Israeli man over alleged Iranian-backed assassination plot
Israeli security services said they had arrested an Israeli citizen on suspicion of involvement in an Iranian-backed assassination plot targeting prominent people including the prime minister.
It said the person was a businessman with connections in Turkey who had attended at least two meetings in Iran to discuss the possibility of assassinating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant or the head of the Shin Bet intelligence agency.
Israeli forces strike Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon amid escalating tensions
The Israeli military launched air and artillery strikes on multiple targets in southern Lebanon overnight, targeting Iranian-backed Hezbollah strongholds.
The strikes, confirmed by the Israeli military on Thursday, hit key locations including Chihine, Tayibe, Blida, Meiss El Jabal, Aitaroun, and Kfarkela.
A Hezbollah weapons storage facility in Khiam was also targeted.
Reports suggest Israeli civilians were injured by anti-tank missile fire from Lebanon, although officials have yet to confirm.
This latest escalation follows months of cross-border exchanges between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants. On Wednesday, Hezbollah fired around 20 projectiles into Israel, with most intercepted by air defence systems.
The Golan Heights, a strategic area with key Israeli surveillance and air defence installations, was also targeted with around 10 missiles.Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border continue to spiral, sparking concerns of a broader conflict.
British-educated businesswoman denies making explosive Hezbollah pagers
A British-educated businesswoman has denied suggestions that her company manufactured the pagers used in an audacious attack against Hezbollah.
The handheld devices killed at least 12 people and injured 3,000 after they simultaneously detonated across Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday afternoon in a suspected Israeli operation.
The Taiwanese company whose branding was on the technology claimed Budapest-based firm BAC Consultancy made the devices under a three-year brand licensing agreement.
Report:
British-educated businesswoman denies making Hezbollah pagers which killed 12 people
Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono studied for a PhD in physics at UCL between 2002 and 2006
Iran and Europe seek diplomatic breakthrough on nukes amid tensions
Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian is set to meet European officials at the UN General Assembly in New York next week, marking a crucial test of whether the two sides can revive diplomatic efforts over Iran’s nuclear programme.
The talks will come amid high tensions in the Middle East, only made worse by the explosions of pagers and hand-held radios used by the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Mr Pezeshkian’s visit, his first to the West since his election in July, takes place just six weeks before the US presidential election, which could see former president Donald Trump, a staunch opponent of compromise with Iran, return to office. According to three Iranian officials, Mr Pezeshkian will convey that “Tehran is open to diplomacy” but will not succumb to pressure.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, rather than Mr Pezeshkian, holds the authority on Tehran’s nuclear and foreign policy. An Iranian official told Reuters, “Iran’s rulers believe that the tense standoff with the West over Iran’s nuclear programme should end... but through negotiations from a position of power, not pressure”.
UN Security Council to meet over pager blasts
World leaders are gearing up for a pivotal meeting at the United Nations next week, with over 130 leaders expected to attend.
The gathering comes at a critical time, as conflicts in the Middle East and Europe threaten to spread, and frustration mounts over the slow pace of efforts to resolve them. The wars in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan are expected to take centre stage, dominating the annual high-level UN General Assembly.
Diplomats and analysts are tempered in their expectations, warning that breakthroughs are unlikely.
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres has expressed concern that the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine are “stuck with no peaceful solutions in sight”.
The situation in the Middle East is further complicated by escalating tensions in Lebanon, where Hezbollah has accused Israel of carrying out a wave of deadly attacks.
“There is a serious risk of a dramatic escalation in Lebanon, and everything must be done to avoid that escalation,” Mr Guterres told reporters on Wednesday.
Taiwanese company Gold Apollo denies making pagers used in Lebanon attack
Taiwanese electronics maker Gold Apollo has denied producing the pagers used in Tuesday’s deadly attack in Lebanon, which killed at least nine people and injured nearly 3,000.
Gold Apollo founder and president Hsu Ching-Kuang said the devices were manufactured by BAC Consulting, a company based in Budapest, Hungary, licensed to use the Taiwanese brand.
“The product was not ours. It was only that it had our brand on it,” Mr Hsu said.
Read the full article here:
The Taiwanese company at the center of Hezbollah pager attack in Lebanon
Gold Apollo claims beepers were actually made by Hungary-based BAC Consulting
Walkie-talkie blasts across Lebanon target Hezbollah strongholds
A series of explosions rocked southern Lebanon and Beirut on Wednesday, sparking chaos and panic in areas known to be Hezbollah strongholds.
The blasts have been attributed to exploding walkie-talkies, and came just a day after pager devices used by Hezbollah detonated across both Lebanon and Syria.
The walkie-talkie blasts, which occurred in the afternoon were reported across various suburbs of Beirut as well as in the southern city of Tyre.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of destruction, with vehicles on fire and smoke billowing from residential areas. Al Jazeera correspondent Ali Hashem witnessed one car explode during a funeral in southern Lebanon, suggesting that the blast came from within the vehicle, rather than it being struck by a drone.
Affected Areas:
- Southern suburbs of Beirut, areas where Hezbollah is known to have a strong presence
- Southern city of Tyre
- Residential areas and during a funeral procession in southern Lebanon
Voices: What has boobytrapping Hezbollah’s pagers actually achieved?
The audacious attack was a PR coup for Israel and humiliation for the terrorists – but it does nothing to create a lasting framework of peaceful co-existence, says Sean O’Grady
What has boobytrapping Hezbollah’s pagers actually achieved?
The audacious attack was a PR coup for Israel and humiliation for the terrorists – but it does nothing to create a lasting framework of peaceful co-existence, says Sean O’Grady
Hezbollah fires rockets at Israeli artillery positions amid escalating tensions
Hezbollah launched rocket attacks on Israeli artillery positions Wednesday, marking its first strike against Israel since the recent blasts that killed dozens in Lebanon.
The Israeli military reported no damage or casualties from the rocket attacks.
Hezbollah’s move comes amid heightened tensions between the two adversaries, who have been engaged in cross-border fighting since the Gaza conflict began on 7 October 2023.
Mohanad Hage Ali, deputy director of research at the Carnegie Middle East Center, noted that while Hezbollah seeks to avoid all-out war, pressure may mount for a more robust response given the scale of recent events.
This latest escalation has fueled concerns of a broader Middle East conflict, potentially drawing in the United States and Iran.
According to official counts, the previous highest daily Lebanese death toll was 11, resulting from Israeli shelling last month.
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