The commander of Hezbollah alleges that the Israeli terrorist attacks on its fighters in Syria and Lebanon using pagers and walkie-talkies went beyond all acceptable limits. Hassan Nasrallah emphasized that the organization would strike back and won’t back down from its struggle with Israel in defense of the Palestinian people in Gaza. Nasrallah referred to the extraordinary attacks as a “big blow in terms of security and humanity” in his first statement on television since they occurred. Yet, he said, they haven’t succeeded in undermining the group’s regional activism.
Over 3,000 people were injured in the explosions, which the organization accuses as being directed by Israel; over 300 of the victims are critically injured. The new attacks on communication devices have also increased concerns that the almost daily crossfire that has been exchanged between Israel and Hezbollah over the past 11 months may turn into a full-scale conflict.
Israel has not yet acknowledged responsibility for the explosions or offered any comments, in line with numerous other strikes.
Israeli officials have increased the alert in recent weeks about the possibility of a more extensive military assault against Hezbollah forces. They declared their intention to put an end to the group’s firing so that hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens might be able go back to their homes close to their frontier with Lebanese soils.
The synchronized blasts of pagers and walkie-talkies were deemed a terrorist act by Nasrallah. In addition, he called it an announcement of war against the territorial integrity and population of Lebanon. He acknowledged that the attacks were unparalleled in Lebanese nation’s history in addition to the experience of the Lebanese resistance movement. “From October 8 until now, the Israeli forces did not pull out any of their military personnel in the north.”
Public Places Were Targeted
According to Hezbollah leader, the pagers and walkie-talkies detonated inside houses, marketplaces, healthcare facilities, and other places where people were present. According to Nasrallah, Israel had deliberately selected 1,000 walkie-talkies and 4,000 pagers with the intention of killing as countless individuals.
He continued by saying that some of the assaults happened on public roadways, in drugstores, markets, commercial stores, and hospitals—all areas where tens of thousands of people are gathered. Nasrallah also emphasized that a lot of gadgets were switched off or out of service, which partially prevented the attacks. He clarified that the infrastructure, leadership, and authority of the group were unaffected by what transpired. He stressed that, “I reassure you that our infrastructure has not been impacted.”
Ever since Israel invaded Gaza on October 7 last year, Hezbollah and Israel have been involved in a low-key confrontation. Israel nearly concurrently assassinated Ismail Haniyeh, the political head of Hamas, in Tehran and Fuad Shukr, the top member of Hezbollah, two months ago. The assassinations raised concerns that the two sides’ confrontation might intensify.