Hezbollah chief says device explosions in Lebanon 'declaration of war'

Beirut, Sep 19 : Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech on Thursday that the deadly device explosions across Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday are "an act of war and a declaration of war by Israel."

Israel "violated all red lines," Nasrallah said, calling the incidents "massacres."

"These attacks in Lebanon are still being investigated, including the devices used," he said, Xinhua news agency reported.

The attacks, though "unprecedented," will not weaken Hezbollah, he said.

"We will become strong and more capable of facing any dangers," he said, assuring that Lebanon's front will not stop before ending the Israeli attacks against Gaza.

During Nasrallah's televised speech, Israeli jets broke huge sound barriers over Beirut.

The Israeli military announced Thursday that "plans for the continuation of the war" in Lebanon against Hezbollah were approved, as it launched a new wave of bombings in southern Lebanon.

The death toll in explosions targeting pagers and handheld radios across Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday has risen to 37, whereas the injuries came at 2,931, Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad said Thursday.

No Israeli officials have claimed responsibility for the explosions, which Hezbollah attributed to Israel.

Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border have been escalating since Oct. 8, 2023, when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in support of Hamas. Israel retaliated with artillery fire into southeastern Lebanon. The conflict has resulted in hundreds of deaths in Lebanon, and Hezbollah claims its attacks have inflicted casualties in Israel.