Hezbollah leader vows retaliation against Israel

Authors: KAREEM CHEHAYEB and BASSEM MROUE, Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Hezbollah’s leader vowed Thursday to continue daily attacks on Israel despite deadly sabotage of communications facilities belonging to the group this week, adding that Israelis displaced from their homes near the Lebanese border by the fighting will not be allowed to return until the war in Gaza ends.

Hezbollah and Israel have launched new attacks abroad, with Hassan Nasrallah speaking out for the first time since the massive bombing of Lebanon and Syria, which he described as a “serious blow” — and for which he vowed to retaliate.

Two days of attacks on thousands of Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies were widely attributed to Israel, heightening fears that 11 months of near-daily exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel would escalate into all-out war. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the attacks.

Hezbollah struck at least four times in northern Israel during Nasrallah’s speech, and two Israeli soldiers were killed in an attack earlier in the day. Israeli warplanes flew low over Beirut as Nasrallah spoke and broke the sound barrier, scattering birds and forcing people in homes and offices to quickly open windows to prevent them from shattering.

Israel also launched attacks in southern Lebanon on Thursday, saying it hit hundreds of rocket launchers and other Hezbollah infrastructure, although it was not immediately clear if there were any casualties. The army said the launchers were expected to be used “in the near future.”

At the same time, the army issued orders to residents of some parts of the Golan Heights and northern Israel to avoid public gatherings, restrict their movement and stay near shelters in case of possible rocket fire.

In recent weeks, Israeli leaders have stepped up warnings of a potential larger military operation against Hezbollah, saying they are determined to halt the group’s shelling so that tens of thousands of Israelis can return to their homes near the border.

During a briefing Thursday, the Israeli defense minister said Hezbollah would “pay an increasingly high price” as Israel seeks to create conditions near the Lebanese border that are secure enough for residents to return.

“Our military actions will continue,” he said.

The electronics attack appeared to be the culmination of a months-long Israeli operation to hit as many Hezbollah members as possible at once — but civilians were also hit. At least 37 people were killed, including two children, and about 3,000 were wounded in the explosions on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Nasrallah said the group was investigating how the bombings were carried out.

“Yes, we have been subjected to a huge and heavy blow,” he said. “The enemy has crossed all boundaries and red lines,” he said. Pointing to the number of pagers and walkie-talkies, he accused Israel of intending to kill thousands of people at once. “The enemy will face a heavy and just punishment from where it expects and does not expect.”

He said Hezbollah would continue to attack northern Israel as long as the war in Gaza continues, vowing that Israel would not be able to bring its men back to the border region. “The only way is to stop the aggression against the people of Gaza and the West Bank,” he said. “Neither strikes, nor assassinations, nor all-out war will achieve that.”

Earlier on Thursday, Hezbollah said it had attacked three Israeli military positions near the border, two of them with drones. Israeli hospitals reported eight people with light or moderate injuries.

Hezbollah says its near-daily shelling is an expression of support for Hamas. Israel’s 11-month war with Hamas in Gaza began after an Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the European Union.

Israel responded to Hezbollah’s attacks with airstrikes in southern Lebanon and targeted senior figures in the group’s capital, Beirut. The exchanges left hundreds dead in Lebanon and dozens in Israel, and forced tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border to evacuate.

Israel and Hezbollah have repeatedly withdrawn from all-out war under intense pressure from the United States, France and other countries.

However, in their latest warnings, Israeli leaders said they were determined to radically change the status quo.

Speaking to Israeli soldiers on Wednesday, Gallant said: “We are at the beginning of a new phase of the war — it requires courage, determination and perseverance.” He did not mention the explosive devices but praised the work of the Israeli military and security agencies, saying the “results are very impressive.”

He said that after months of fighting with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, “the center of gravity is shifting north, through the redirection of resources and forces.”

Israel began moving more troops to its border with Lebanon on Wednesday as a precaution, Israeli officials said. Israel’s army chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, said plans were being drawn up for additional actions against Hezbollah, although media reports said the government had not yet decided whether to launch a major offensive in Lebanon.

Lebanon is still recovering from the deadly attacks that occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The explosions have shocked worried Lebanese who fear a full-scale war. The Lebanese army said it was locating and detonating suspicious pagers and communication devices, while the country’s civil aviation authority banned the use of pagers and walkie-talkies on all flights departing from Beirut International Airport until further notice.