The attacks began shortly after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah began speaking about recent developments affecting the pro-Iranian movement in the conflict with Israel.
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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Thursday that they are once again attacking targets of the pro-Iranian Lebanese movement Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, with the aim of “damaging the terrorist capabilities and infrastructure” of the Lebanese Shiite movement.
“The terrorist organization Hezbollah turned southern Lebanon into a combat zone.For decades, Hezbollah has been setting up civilian homes, digging tunnels beneath them and using civilians as human shields,” reads an IDF statement sent to newsrooms.
“Toward IDF is operating to bring security to northern Israelto allow residents to return to their homes, as well as to achieve all the objectives of the war,” the statement added.
The attacks began shortly after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah began speaking about the latest developments affecting the pro-Iranian movement in the conflict with Israel in southern Lebanon.
At the same time, according to CNN International, several Israeli Air Force planes flew over the Lebanese capital, Beirut, breaking the sound barrier.
On Thursday morning, the Israeli military also announced that it had bombed seven Hezbollah facilities in southern Lebanon, a day after unprecedented explosions attributed to Israel against electronic devices, including communications devices belonging to the pro-Iranian Lebanese movement.
Toward explosions killed more than 30 people and injured some 3,200 people on Tuesday and Wednesday, raising fears of a full-scale war.
Israel did not comment on the attacks.This came shortly after it announced the extension of its war aims against the Palestinian Hamas, supported by Hezbollah, to the northern border with Lebanon.
The aim is to allow the return of Israelis displaced to the north of the country, according to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
In overnight strikes reported Thursday, the Israeli army said it had attacked six Hezbollah infrastructures and a weapons depot in southern Lebanon.
Simultaneous explosions of beepers, a paging system used by the Islamist movement, occurred on Tuesday in Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon’s southern, eastern and southern suburbs.
How did thousands of pagers explode simultaneously in the hands of Hezbollah militants?
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, 12 people were killed and some 2,800 injured.
The next day, a second wave of walkie-talkie explosions killed 20 people and injured more than 450, according to the same source.
After pagers, walkie-talkies: Hundreds of Hezbollah communication devices explode in Lebanon, killing 20
Hezbollah has lamented the deaths of 20 of its members in “walkie-talkie explosions,” according to a source close to the movement cited by AFP.
The explosions of the past two days are the “biggest blow ever dealt to the pro-Iranian group” by Israel, according to a source close to Hezbollah.
Hezbollah members’ pagers and walkie-talkies exploded simultaneously while their users were at home, shopping or attending funerals.
Source: Observadora
