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
Your support helps us to tell the story
My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.
Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.
Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond
Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
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?
How the plot to explode Hezbollah’s pagers and walkie-talkies unfolded
Shut it off, bury it, put it in an iron chest and lock it up,” the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah declared in February, talking about the mobile phones belonging to members and their families.
“The collaborator [with the Israelis] is the cell phone in your hands, and those of your wife and your children. This cell phone is the collaborator and the killer,” he added. “Do it for the sake of security and to protect the blood and dignity of people.”
After months of near-daily fire across the Israel-Lebanon border, Hezbollah were concerned about Israeli location and tracking and spyware via mobile phones – which could allow for targeted strikes or disruptions to operations.
Read the full article here:
How the plot to explode Hezbollah’s pagers and walkie-talkies unfolded
Israel’s Mossad spy agency is believed to be behind the operation, Chris Stevenson writes, which likely took months of planning
Hunt for origins of Lebanon pager attack widens to Bulgaria and Norway
Bulgaria and Norway became new focal points on Thursday of a global hunt for who supplied Hezbollah with the thousands of pagers that exploded in Lebanon this week in a deadly blow to the militant group.
How and with whose help the pager attack was carried out was not yet known, although so far there were possible leads in Taiwan, Hungary and Bulgaria.
One theory is that the pagers were intercepted and hooked up with explosives after they left factories. Another is that Israel orchestrated the whole deadly supply chain.
Bulgarian authorities said on Thursday that its interior ministry and state security services had opened an investigation into a company’s possible ties. They did not name the company they were investigating.
Local media reports said Sofia-based Norta Global Ltd had facilitated the sale of the pagers to Hezbollah. Citing security sources, national broadcaster bTV reported that 1.6 million euros related to the transaction passed through Bulgaria, and was sent to Hungary.
Pager attack likely to disrupt Hezbollah’s internal communication
Israel began moving more troops to its border with Lebanon on Wednesday as a precautionary measure, Israeli officials have said. It comes as Israel’s army chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, said plans have been drawn up for additional action against Hezbollah, though media reported the government has not yet decided whether to launch a major offensive in Lebanon.
In Lebanon, their military said it has been locating and detonating suspicious pagers and communication devices, while the country’s civil aviation authorities banned pagers and walkie-talkies on all airplanes departing from Beirut’s international airport until further notice.
The attack was likely to severely disrupt Hezbollah’s internal communication as it scrambles to determine safe means to talk to each other. Hezbollah announced the death of five combatants Thursday, but didn’t specify if they were killed in the explosions or on the front lines.
Israel has carried out dozens of strikes in southern Lebanon
Israel carried out dozens of strikes on Thursday across southern Lebanon, three Lebanese security sources told Reuters.
They added it was some of the most intense bombing since the start of the war in October.
Read the full story: Israel launches major strikes on Lebanon
Hezbollah has accused Israel of crossing “all red lines” with its deadly detonation of walkie-talkies and pagers, as Israeli forces launched a fresh wave of strikes across Lebanon.
Sonic booms from low-flying Israeli jets shook the buildings in Beirut during a televised speech by the militant group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah in which he warned this week’s unprecedented action “could be called a declaration of war”.
Israel has yet to confirm or deny it was behind the remote explosions, which killed at least 37 people including two children. More than 3,000 people were also wounded, according to the Lebanese health ministry, whose top medics told The Independent that they were struggling to treat such a huge influx of critical injuries.
Read the full article here:
Hezbollah chief says Lebanon device explosions ‘cross all red lines’
Tensions rise after two days of detonations targeting Hezbollah members’ pagers
No US military changes in Middle East, says Pentagon
There are no changes to US military posture in the Middle East, the Pentagon told reporters on Thursday when asked about recent deadly Israeli attacks in Lebanon that blew up Hezbollah radios and pagers.
They added that any further attack in the region would not be helpful, and that they did not believe a ceasefire deal in Gaza was falling apart.
US state department says US does not want to see conflict escalate
The United States does not want to see any party escalate the conflict in the Middle East, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.
His comments come as tensions in the region between Iran-backed Lebanese movement Hezbollah and Israel remained high.
Miller said at a regular briefing that Washington was committed to the defence of Israel against terrorist groups including Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies but cautioned that Washington’s priority was to deescalate the situation.
Voices: The Hezbollah pager attacks prove that Israel has no strategy for peace
Paging devices used by Hezbollah forces in Lebanon and Syria exploded near-simultaneously on 17 September, leaving 12 dead and almost 3,000 injured. The following day later, walkie-talkies exploded all over Lebanon, killing 20 and injuring at least 400. Both attacks are widely assumed to be the work of Israel.
The scale of the attacks, as well as their theatrical nature, can be seen as a bid by Israel’s military and intelligence forces to repair their reputation, left in tatters following the 7 October Hamas attacks.
It could also represent an attempt by Israel to address the problem of its northern border. Visiting the area this week, I have seen the effects of the continual exchanges of rocket and missile attacks, which have led to 60,000 people being evacuated from Israeli towns. According to reports, Lebanese villages have also been evacuated as a result of the fighting.
Read the full article from Bronwen Maddox here:
The Hezbollah pager attacks prove that Israel has no strategy for peace
With the first anniversary of 7 October approaching, Israel is no closer to a resolution of the Gaza conflict – and making terrorists’ electronic devices explode will not help, says Bronwen Maddox
Latest pictures from Lebanon’s border
US defence secretary postpones trip to Israel
The US secretary of defence, Lloyd Austin, has postponed a planned trip next week to Israel due to the escalation on the Israeli-Lebanese border, Axios is reporting, citing Israeli sources.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments