The Israeli military has carried out its most extensive airstrikes on southern Lebanon since the start of the Gaza war, saying it has struck around 100 Hezbollah rocket launchers as well as other “terrorist sites”.
Huge sonic booms could be heard over the Lebanese capital Beirut even as the Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah gave a speech accusing Israel of “crossing all of the red lines”.
Lebanon’s health minister said on Thursday that the death toll from the second attack in Beirut’s suburbs and the Bekaa Valley has now risen to 37, with at least 608 injured. A further 12 people were killed in explosions the previous day, including two children, with nearly 2,300 wounded.
“We are opening a new phase in the war,” Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said in the aftermath.
Nasrallah blamed Israel for this week’s deadly attacks on the militant group’s communications devices, which he called a “severe blow” and an “act of war”.
He said Hezbollah was still investigating what appears to be one of the largest security breaches in the group’s history.
Hand-held walkie-talkie radios used by the armed group were detonated across Lebanon’s south on Wednesday, heightening fears of an escalation into a full-blown regional war.
