Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s secretary-general, accused Israel of “crossing all red lines” in a televised speech broadcast Thursday and called the wave of explosions on the militia’s communications devices “a declaration of war by a part of Israel.”
At least 37 people have died in just two days in a complex intelligence operation attributed to Israel, although Tel Aviv has not commented explicitly on the attack. However, Israeli authorities have announced the start of a “new phase” of the war in Lebanon. As Nasrallah delivers his speech, Israeli warplanes fly over the capital, breaking the sound barrier.
“We have received a heavy blow, but this is a state of war and we know that the enemy has technological superiority, especially thanks to the support of the United States and the West,” said Nasrallah, who however assured that this attack was not a defeat and promised that the attacks against Israel would continue.
Nasrallah acknowledged that the operation that blew up thousands of Hezbollah communications devices was a blow “unprecedented in the history of the resistance.”
