BIRMINGHAM: Bloodied, humiliated and vulnerable after two days of deadly explosions targeting pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah operatives, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Iran-backed militia, on Thursday (Sep 19) said the attacks amounted to a "declaration of war" against the people of Lebanon.
Hezbollah has blamed Israel for the attacks and vowed to retaliate. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the coordinated mass explosions, although Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday declared the start of a “new phase” of the Gaza war.
Even as Mr Nasrallah gave his speech, low-flying Israeli fighter jets targeted the Lebanese capital, setting off a series of sonic booms.
Suffice to saykubiwin, fears of an all-out Israel-Lebanon conflict are growing.
Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam on Sep 19, 2024. Hezbollah has traded near-daily fire with Israeli forces in support of ally Hamas since Oct 7, with repeated escalations during more than 11 months of the cross-border violence. (Photo: AFP)