Israeli Airstrikes on Hezbollah Kill 37 and Wound 3,000, Nasrallah Declares “Red Lines Crossed” Amid Rising Tensions

Recent Israeli attacks on Hezbollah’s communications infrastructure have been labeled as crossing all “red lines” by the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The strikes, which have led to 37 deaths and approximately 3,000 injuries, have caused significant destruction and overwhelmed Lebanese hospitals. The attacks, presumed to be carried out by Israel’s Mossad agency, have not been officially addressed by the Israeli government.

In a televised speech from an undisclosed location, Nasrallah emphasized the unprecedented nature of the attacks, describing them as “a major security and military blow” for both Lebanon and Hezbollah. “This type of killing and targeting is unprecedented in the history of the resistance and of Lebanon,” he said, appearing before a red backdrop, wearing his signature black turban. He declared that the strikes violated international laws and morality, calling them “war crimes” or even a “declaration of war.”

During Nasrallah’s speech, Israeli warplanes flew over Beirut, causing sonic booms that shook the city. These sounds have become a familiar occurrence in recent months as tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have steadily escalated. Israel later confirmed that its warplanes had struck southern Lebanon overnight, with additional airstrikes resuming in border areas by the afternoon.

The attacks on Hezbollah’s telecommunications equipment, including radios and pagers, have generated widespread fear in Lebanon. Many citizens are now wary of their electronic devices, fearing they could be rigged to explode. “Who can even secure their phone now?” asked Mustafa Sibal, a resident of Beirut, adding that he now avoids carrying his phone due to safety concerns.

In response to the attacks, the Lebanese army began conducting controlled demolitions of suspicious telecom devices. Authorities have also implemented a ban on the transportation of walkie-talkies and pagers through Beirut’s airport, and such items are prohibited from being shipped by air.

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah intensified following the October 7 cross-border attack by Hamas on Israel, which sparked the Gaza war. Since then, intermittent exchanges of fire have occurred between Israel and Hezbollah, leading to mass evacuations from both sides of the border.

Israel has accused Hezbollah of using civilian homes in southern Lebanon as combat zones and employing civilians as human shields. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that their ongoing operations aim to secure northern Israel and meet broader wartime objectives. Airstrikes continued on Thursday, with Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV confirming renewed attacks near the southern border.

The explosions of hand-held radios and pagers used by Hezbollah have further fueled the crisis. On Wednesday, radios detonated across southern Lebanon, killing 25 people and injuring hundreds. The day prior, pagers, which Hezbollah uses to evade mobile phone surveillance, exploded simultaneously, resulting in 12 deaths and over 2,300 injuries.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has appealed to the United Nations Security Council to intervene, calling for decisive action to halt Israel’s “aggression” and what he described as a “technological war” against Lebanon. Israel, meanwhile, maintains that its conflict with Hezbollah, along with its war against Hamas in Gaza, forms part of a larger regional confrontation involving Iran, which supports both Hezbollah and Hamas, as well as other militant groups in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq.