Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said the alleged Israeli attack that caused thousands of the terror group’s pagers and walkie-talkies to explode amounted to “a declaration of war.”
In his first speech since back-to-back attacks that killed at least 22 people, including two children, and left more than 3,200 wounded earlier this week, Nasrallah criticized the Jewish state for allegedly planning what he described as a “massacre.”
“What happened on Tuesday is a violation of all laws and red lines, without regard to anything, neither humanitarian nor ethical,” the terrorist leader said. According to a translation from the Telegraph.
Despite the heavy blow to Hezbollah, Nasrallah said Israel had failed in its purported goal of killing more than 4,000 terrorist operatives, and the chief vowed to retaliate.
“This blow, no matter how big or strong it is, cannot bring us down,” Nasrallah said. “And I can assure you with faith and confidence that this unprecedented and heavy blow has not brought us to our knees.”
The terror chief added that the attack will not affect Hezbollah’s support for Hamas and that its almost daily attacks on northern Israel will not end until the war in Gaza is over.
During Nasrallah’s highly anticipated speech, Israel launched a new wave of airstrikes in Lebanon, as the IDF accused Hezbollah of turning the border into a combat zone.
“For decades, Hezbollah has weaponized civilian homes, dug tunnels beneath them and used civilians as human shields,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
“The Israel Defense Forces are operating to provide security for northern Israel in order to allow the return of residents to their homes, as well as to achieve all the objectives of the war.”
Both Hezbollah and Lebanese officials have blamed Israel for the explosions that erupted across the country on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Five months ago, the Jewish state allegedly tampered with a new shipment of pagers and walkie-talkies destined for Hezbollah, equipping the devices with explosive materials that detonated when a message impersonating the terror group’s leadership was sent.
Israel has declined to comment on the allegations.
The attack, which left civilians caught in the widespread blasts, raised fears that a two-front war was inevitable as it represented a massive escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
The terrorist group began attacking Israel on October 8 in solidarity with Hamas, and daily missile strikes between the two have intensified since then.
The conflict has forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate northern Israel and southern Lebanon, and IDF officials have repeatedly stated that they were prepared for a multi-front war against Iran’s terror proxies.
