Israel strikes Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after two rounds of device explosions
Israel launched a series of overnight strikes on sites in Lebanon where the Israeli military says Hezbollah terrorists operated. The strikes follow two waves of deadly electronic device explosions across Lebanon.
The Israeli strikes targeted infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon, including the areas of Chihine, Tayibe, Blida, Meiss El Jabal, Aitaroun and Kfarkela, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Thursday. Israel also struck a Hezbollah weapons storage facility in Khiam.
"The IDF will continue to operate against the threat of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in order to defend the State of Israel," the IDF said in a statement.
The strikes followed two deadly waves of explosions across Lebanon in which electronic devices detonated in near-simultaneous explosions on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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Hundreds of pagers used by Hezbollah members exploded on Tuesday, killing 12 people, including two children, and wounding some 2,800 others.
Another wave of electronic devices detonated on Wednesday, killing at least 25 and wounding more than 450. Hezbollah officials said the devices included walkie-talkies and solar equipment.
Israel has largely been blamed for the two rounds of deadly blasts. The Israeli government has not commented on the explosions.
On Wednesday, a senior U.S. official confirmed to Fox News that Israel is behind the explosions of pagers used by members of Hezbollah in Lebanon.
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Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah addressed the deadly two-day attack on Thursday, saying the group is investigating.
"Yes, we were subjected to a huge and severe blow," Nasrallah said. "The enemy crossed all boundaries and red lines. The enemy will face a severe and fair punishment from where they expect and don’t expect."
"The enemy went beyond all controls, laws and morals," he continued, adding the attacks "could be considered war crimes or a declaration of war."
The Israeli military released another statement on Thursday, blaming Hezbollah for turning Lebanon into "a combat zone."
"The Hezbollah terrorist organization has turned southern Lebanon into a combat zone. For decades, Hezbollah has weaponized civilian homes, dug tunnels beneath them, and used civilians as human shields," Israel's military said.
The explosions that rocked Lebanon have deepened concerns about an escalation into an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.