Israeli airstrikes hit south Lebanon as Hezbollah accuses it of crossing ‘all red lines’

Israeli fighter jets flew over Beirut and struck targets in south Lebanon on Thursday afternoon, just as Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah accused Israel of violating “all red lines” with deadly attacks on telecoms devices.

This week’s major escalation — involving Israeli airstrikes, the sophisticated explosive attacks on Hezbollah technology and a retaliatory saber-rattling speech from Nasrallah — raises fears of a devastating regional conflict.

The telecoms attacks were an “unprecedented massacre,” Nasrallah said during a public address. “On Tuesday, Israel intended to kill 4,000 people in one minute by detonating the pagers,” he added.

“We have suffered a heavy blow. This is war, this is conflict. We know the enemy, not only Israel but also the US and NATO, has technological superiority,” Nasrallah added.

The IDF said in a post on X that it is “currently striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon to degrade Hezbollah’s terrorist capabilities and infrastructure.”

The death toll from exploding pagers and walkie-talkies has reached 37, with thousands more injured, overwhelming Lebanese hospitals. Hezbollah — an Iran-backed militant group and political party — immediately blamed Israel for the highly sophisticated attack, but Israeli officials have so far declined to comment.

The pagers have been linked to firms in both Taiwan and Hungary but both companies have denied manufacturing them.

Israel and Hezbollah have traded near-constant rocket fire since Hamas’ Oct. 7 violent attack on Israel, and the Israeli military’s subsequent lethal assault on Gaza.

On Wednesday, Israel’s defense minister said its war in the region is entering a “new phase” and announced Israeli troops would be moved to the north of the country.

The United Nations Security Council will meet Friday to discuss the spiraling security situation in Israel and Lebanon, according to Slovenian U.N. Ambassador Samuel Žbogar.

This story has been updated.