Deadly Israeli attacks that blew up Hezbollah radios and pagers crossed all red lines, the leader of the Lebanese movement said on Thursday, in a speech broadcast as sonic booms from Israeli warplanes shook buildings in Beirut.
Lebanon and Hezbollah have blamed Israel for attacks on Hezbollah’s communications equipment that killed 37 people and wounded around 3,000, overwhelming Lebanese hospitals and wreaking bloody havoc on the group. Israel has not directly commented on the attacks, which security sources say were probably carried out by its Mossad spy agency, which has a long history of carrying out sophisticated attacks on foreign soil.
“There is no doubt that we have been subjected to a major security and military blow that is unprecedented in the history of the resistance and unprecedented in the history of Lebanon,” Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in his TV address, filmed at an undisclosed location. “This type of killing, targeting and crime may be unprecedented in the world,” he said, appearing in front of a featureless red background in his customary black turban.
The attacks “crossed all red lines”, he said. “The enemy went beyond all controls, laws and morals,” he said, adding the attacks “could be considered war crimes or a declaration of war.”
As the broadcast was aired, deafening sonic booms from Israeli warplanes shook Beirut, a sound that has become common in recent months but has taken on a greater significance as the threat of all-out war has steadily ramped up. Israel said its warplanes struck southern Lebanon overnight. Hezbollah reported that airstrikes resumed in the border area in the afternoon. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said late on Thursday that Israel will keep up military action against Hezbollah.
“In the new phase of the war there are significant opportunities but also significant risks. Hezbollah feels that it is being persecuted and the sequence of military actions will continue,” Gallant said in a statement. “Our goal is to ensure the safe return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes. As time goes by, Hezbollah will pay an increasing price,” Gallant said.
Nasrallah said Hezbollah hoped Israeli troops would enter southern Lebanon because that would create a “historic opportunity” for the Iran-backed group. No military escalation, killing, assassinations or all-out war would return Israeli residents to the border area, he added. Whilst Nasrallah described the attacks as unprecedented, accusing Israel of trying to kill 5,000 people, he also played down the impact on Hezbollah, saying the group’s structure had not been shaken.