Israel’s defense minister has declared the start of a “new phase” of the war as Israel turns its focus toward the northern front against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
Two waves of explosive attacks hit Syria and Lebanon: an apparent Israeli attack targeting pagers used by Hezbollah that killed at least 12 and wounded nearly 3,000 on Tuesday, and exploding walkie-talkies and other electronics Wednesday across Lebanon that killed at least 20 people and injured 450 others.
“We are at the start of a new phase in the war — it requires courage, determination and perseverance,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told troops on Wednesday.
Israel and Hezbollah exchanged strikes along the border Thursday, as the militant group’s leader Nasrallah vowed retaliation for attacks on the group’s devices.
He said Israel targeted thousands of pagers and detonated them at the same time crossing a “red line.”
While its leader Nasrallah was speaking, Hezbollah announced four strikes on northern Israel.
Hezbollah began striking Israel almost immediately after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that sparked the Israel-Hamas war. Since then, Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire daily, coming close to a full-blown war on several occasions and forcing tens of thousands on both sides of the border to evacuate their homes.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. The ministry does not differentiate between fighters and civilians in its count but says a little over half of those killed were women and children. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.
Here’s the latest:
Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged strikes along the border, as the militant group’s leader Nasrallah vows retaliation for attacks on the group’s devices.
In his speech, the Hezbollah leader vowed retaliation against Israel over this week’s explosions in Lebanon saying “the enemy will face a severe and fair punishment from where they expect and don’t expect.”
BEIRUT: While its leader Nasrallah was speaking, Hezbollah announced four strikes on northern Israel.
BEIRUT – The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group defied Israel’s leaders on Thursday that they will not be able to return tens of thousands of people displaced from their homes to northern Israel as long as the war in Gaza continues.
Speaking about Netanyahu’s goal to return residents of northern Israel to their homes, Nasrallah said: “Can you achieve this goal? Neither you, nor Galant nor all your army can achieve this.”
“You cannot return to bring the people of the north to the north,” Nasrallah said. “The only way is stop the aggression on the people of Gaza and the West Bank.”
“Neither strikes, nor assassinations nor an all-out war will achieve that,” Nasrallah said about Israeli threats of war to bring back residents of northern Israel to their homes.
