‘Israel has crossed the red line… it is a massacre that deserves a response’: Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader vows revenge for beeper attack, as Iran warns of ‘a crushing response from the axis of resistance’

The leader of Hezbollah has condemned Israel after thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies were detonated in two days, saying “all red lines have been crossed by the enemy” and the deadly attacks “deserve a response.”

Sonic booms from Israeli fighter jets were heard over Beirut as the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, delivered his speech, sparking panic in the Lebanese capital, where the attacks began on Tuesday and tensions are high.

A huge noise was heard on live television. Journalists on the scene reported that the noise was followed by screams as Lebanese residents panicked and prepared for further escalation.

Lebanon, Hezbollah and its ally Iran blame Israel for the covert attacks that killed 37 people and wounded some 3,000, overwhelmed Lebanese hospitals and wreaked bloody havoc on Hezbollah.

Israel has not commented directly on the attacks, which security sources said were likely carried out by Israel’s Mossad spy agency. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said only that “the results are very impressive.”

As tensions reach boiling point, a top Iranian commander has reportedly promised Tehran’s client state Hezbollah that their common arch-enemy Israel will face “a crushing response from the axis of resistance.”

Hassan Nasrallah delivered his first speech this afternoon since the secret attacks began on Tuesday

Smoke rises after Israeli airstrike hits Tyre in southern Lebanon

Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike hit Tyre in southern Lebanon this afternoon

In his first speech since attacks wreaked havoc across Lebanon on Tuesday, Nasrallah said more than 4,000 explosives had been detonated with the aim of killing thousands of people.

“This could be called a declaration of war,” Nasrallah told his followers. “We have been dealt a very hard blow, but this is the state of war. Through this experience and the lessons we learn from it, we will become stronger and more powerful.”

Nasrallah said the explosions “had happened in hospitals, pharmacies, markets, shops, homes and in cars,” as well as on the streets “where there were many civilians, along with women and children.”

“This is the scale of criminality,” he said. “What can we call this kind of criminal action — is it a major operation? Is it genocide? Is it a massacre?”

He said the death toll, which totals 37, could have been much higher but that not all pagers and radios had been distributed and not all fighters had their communications equipment at hand when the explosions occurred.

Although senior officials, including Iran’s envoy in Beirut, have been confirmed injured in the explosions, Nasrallah insisted that top Hezbollah members did not have the model of the exploded beepers with them.

“What happened did not affect our command, control or infrastructure,” he added, while admitting it was a serious security incident.

During Nasrallah’s lengthy, three-part speech, Israel announced that it would continue airstrikes on Lebanon. Warning sirens sounded in northern Israel, signaling the possibility of fire.

In a statement, the Israeli Defense Forces said the army is “striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon to weaken Hezbollah’s terrorist capabilities and infrastructure.”

Thousands were injured when communications equipment exploded in Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday and Wednesday

A car burns on the streets of Lebanon after an explosion

The attacks seriously injured dozens of Hezbollah members in southern Lebanon and in the capital Beirut.

Israeli army evacuates wounded by helicopter after an anti-tank missile was fired from Lebanon into Israel, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, September 19, 2024

According to the report, it is part of efforts to return displaced Israelis to their homes in the north, after tens of thousands of civilians were evacuated from the area months ago due to ongoing cross-border fighting.

In his speech today, Nasrallah vowed that displaced Israelis “will not be able to return” to their homes.

He said his group, which has been fighting Israel for 11 months, will not stop until the war in Gaza is over, despite two days of deadly explosions blamed on Israel.

“The Lebanese front will not stop until the aggression against Gaza stops,” despite “all the blood that has been shed,” he said.

He added that Hezbollah’s determination is greater than ever and that if Israel were to attempt to invade southern Lebanon, it would create a “historic opportunity” for the terror group.

“This will undoubtedly have serious consequences,” he threatened.

A hand shows the destroyed pager or pager that exploded on September 17

Shortly before 4:00 p.m., it was reported that Israeli fighter jets carried out mock airstrikes on Beirut, breaking the sound barrier.

According to The Guardian, these were the lowest levels fighter jets have flown over Beirut since hostilities began in October 2023.

The Israeli military acknowledged that it had attacked Hezbollah targets in Lebanon shortly before Nasrallah’s speech. According to the military, Hezbollah had turned southern Lebanon into a war zone.

“For decades, Hezbollah has been arming civilian homes, digging tunnels under them and using civilians as human shields,” the report said.

“The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) is working to bring security to northern Israel so that residents can return to their homes and all war objectives can be achieved,” the report said.

A separate military statement said Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi recently approved plans for the northern arena.