On Thursday, September 19th, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon, stated in a phone call that Israel’s remote detonation of communication devices is equivalent to “declaring war”.
Earlier this week, thousands of Hezbollah military members and officials were targeted by Israel in remote detonations of pagers and walkie-talkies, resulting in at least 37 deaths and 3,000 injuries.
This is the first time Nasrallah has publicly addressed the explosion of communication devices.
Just hours before his public address, Hezbollah launched a series of attacks on Israeli forces at the border, resulting in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers and injuries to several others.
Following this, Israeli fighter jets carried out a series of strikes in southern Lebanon.
As Nasrallah delivered a video address, Israeli warplanes once again flew over the Lebanese capital of Beirut, breaking the sound barrier twice and causing loud sonic booms.
Nasrallah admitted that these two explosions were “unprecedented historical blows” to Hezbollah and accused Israel of “crossing all boundaries and red lines.”
The Hezbollah leader pledged that they will not cease fighting Israel on the Lebanese front until the end of the conflict in Gaza, warning Israel that war will only lead to an increase in displaced Israelis.
After Nasrallah’s speech, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, in a meeting with senior commanders of the Israel Defense Forces, said Israel faces “significant opportunities but also significant risks” in the battle against Hezbollah.
“Hezbollah feels they are being chased, and our military operations will continue. Our goal is to ensure the safe return of residents in the north. Over time, Hezbollah will pay an increasingly high price,” Gallant said.