Hezbollah leader says Israel crossed all “red lines” with two-day wave of electronic device explosions in Lebanon.
With the rumble of Israeli warplanes buzzing overhead, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah accused Israel on Thursday of “crossing all restrictions, red lines and laws” with the two-day wave of deadly detonations of electronic devices.
Even as he vowed retaliation, Nasrallah acknowledged the attacks dealt “an unprecedented blow” to the group.
Nasrallah’s address was his first televised appearance after thousands of handheld pagers and walkie-talkies exploded Tuesday and Wednesday, killing 37 people and wounding some 3,000 others.
Israel has not claimed or denied responsibility for the attacks, but it is widely presumed to have carried them out. U.S. officials said they were given some details after the fact by Israel. It is believed Israel somehow intercepted a shipment of devices purchased by Hezbollah and packed them with explosives.
Nasrallah said the group has no intention of backing down. “This big and powerful blow did not and will not bring us down,” he said.
Amid fears the fighting will grow into a full-scale war between Israel and Lebanon, both sides continued their tit-for-tat air strikes Thursday.
The Israeli military announced it was striking targets inside Lebanon to “degrade Hezbollah’s terrorist capabilities and infrastructure.
