- By Shivam Shandilya
- Thu, 19 Sep 2024 09:57 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Israel and Hezbollah exchanged strikes on Thursday along the border as the militant group's leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed retaliation for attacks on the group's devices. He said that Israel targeted thousands of pagers and detonated them at the same time, crossing a red line.
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”. According to news agency AP, while Nasrallah was speaking, Hezbollah announced four strikes on northern Israel.
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.
News agency Reuters, quoting the Israeli military, said that two Israeli soldiers were killed in combat on Thursday in Israel's north. Israel's N12 News said one of them was killed by a drone and the other by an anti-tank missile fired by Hezbollah across the Lebanese border.
The Israeli military said on Thursday that it was striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. It also said that the military chief of staff had approved plans for Israel's north, which borders Lebanon. The military said Hezbollah had turned southern Lebanon into a combat zone.
"For decades, Hezbollah has weaponized civilian homes, dug tunnels beneath them, and used civilians as human shields," it said.
"The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) 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," it said.
According to news agency PTI, a separate military statement said that the Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, had recently completed approval of plans for the northern arena.
The statements were released a few minutes before Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was due to deliver a speech for the first time since thousands of explosions in booby-trapped radios and pagers hit the Iran-backed Lebanese group.
The attacks on Hezbollah's communications equipment killed 37 people and wounded around 3,000, raising fears that a full-blown war was imminent.
Hezbollah will pay increasing price: Israel Defence Minister
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Thursday that Israel will keep up military action against Lebanese Hezbollah, though the new phase of fighting does include significant risks.
"In the new phase of the war there are significant opportunities but also significant risks. Hezbollah feels that it is being persecuted and the sequence of military actions will continue," Gallant said in a statement.
"Our goal is to ensure the safe return of Israel's northern communities to their homes. As time goes by, Hezbollah will pay an increasing price," Gallant said.
(With input from agencies)