Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said the alleged Israeli attack that caused thousands of the terror group’s pagers and walkie-talkies to explode was tantamount to “a declaration of war.”
In his first speech since the back-to-back attacks that killed at least 22 people, including two children, and left more than 3,200 others injured earlier this week, Nasrallah slammed the Jewish state for allegedly masterminding what he described as a “massacre.”
“What happened on Tuesday constitutes a violation of all laws and red lines, without regard for anything, neither humanitarian nor ethical,” the terror chief said, according to a Telegraph translation.
Despite the heavy blow Hezbollah suffered, Nasrallah said Israel failed in its alleged goal to kill more than 4,000 terror operatives, with the chief vowing to retaliate.
“We cannot be broken by this blow, no matter how big or strong it is,” Nasrallah said. “And I can assure you faithfully and with confidence, this hard, unprecedented blow did not bring us to our knees.”
The terror chief added that the attack will not sway Hezbollah’s support of Hamas and that its near-daily attacks against northern Israel will not end until the war in Gaza ends.
During Nasrallah’s highly anticipated speech, Israel launched a new wave of airstrikes in Lebanon, as the IDF accused Hezbollah of transforming the border into a combat zone.
“For decades, Hezbollah has weaponized civilian homes, dug tunnels beneath them, and used civilians as human shields,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
“The IDF is operating to bring security to northern Israel in order to enable the return of residents to their homes, as well as to achieve all of the war goals.”
Both Hezbollah and Lebanese officials have blamed Israel for the explosions that erupted across the country on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Jewish state allegedly tampered with a new shipment of pagers and walkie-talkies bound for Hezbollah five months ago, equipping the devices with explosive materials that were detonated when a message impersonating the terror group’s leadership was sent out.
Israel has declined to comment on the allegations.
The attack, which saw civilians caught up in the widespread blasts, raised concerns that a two-front war was inevitable as it represented a massive escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
The terror group began attacking Israel on Oct. 8 in solidarity with Hamas, with daily missile strikes between the two intensifying ever since.
The conflict has forced tens of thousands to evacuate northern Israel and southern Lebanon, with IDF officials repeatedly stating that they were prepared for a multi-front war against Iran’s terror proxies.
