Israel-Lebanon latest: Israel strikes southern Lebanon as Hezbollah says device blasts are ‘act of war’

The Israeli military has carried out its most extensive airstrikes on southern Lebanon since the start of the Gaza war, saying it has struck around 100 Hezbollah rocket launchers as well as other “terrorist sites”.

Huge sonic booms could be heard over the Lebanese capital Beirut even as the Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah gave a speech accusing Israel of “crossing all of the red lines”.

Nasrallah blamed Israel for this week’s deadly attacks on the militant group’s communications devices, which he called a “severe blow” and an “act of war”. He said Hezbollah was still investigating what appears to be one of the largest security breaches in the group’s history.

Hand-held walkie-talkie radios used by the armed group were detonated across Lebanon’s south on Wednesday, heightening fears of an escalation into a full-blown regional war.

Lebanon's health minister said on Thursday that the death toll from the second attack in Beirut's suburbs and the Bekaa Valley has now risen to 25, with at least 608 injured. A further 12 people were killed in explosions the previous day, including two children, with nearly 2,300 wounded.

"We are opening a new phase in the war," Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said in the aftermath.

Key Points

• Israel ‘destroys 100 rocket launchers’ in major airstrikes on southern Israel

• Hezbollah leader says pager attack crossed ‘red line’ as wider war fears mount

• Hezbollah chief vows to punish Israel after communications blasts

• Exploding devices in Lebanon 'detonated by electronic messages'

Japan company denies making Hezbollah walkie-talkies

07:09 , Namita Singh

The Japanese maker of the brand of walkie-talkies thought to have exploded in Lebanon has denied making the detonating devices – but has given its take on what could have been used to trigger the blasts.

Hand-held radios used by armed group Hezbollah detonated across Lebanon’s south on Wednesday, stoking tensions after similar explosions of pagers the day before.

Lebanon’s health ministry said 20 people were killed and more than 450 injured on the second attack in Beirut’s suburbs and the Bekaa Valley, while the death toll from Tuesday’s explosions rose to 12, including two children, with nearly 3,000 injured.

Report:

Japan company denies making Hezbollah walkie-talkies that exploded in Lebanon

Israel targets Hezbollah 'terrorist' sites in southern Lebanon

07:06 , Namita Singh

Israel launched extensive airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday, hitting over 100 Hezbollah rocket launchers and other “terrorist” sites, including a weapons storage facility.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed the launchers were poised to fire on Israel.

The IDF stated: “We struck approximately 100 launchers and terrorist infrastructure, consisting of approximately 1,000 barrels that were ready to be used in the immediate future to fire toward Israeli territory”.

“The IDF will continue to operate to degrade the Hezbollah terrorist organisation’s infrastructure and capabilities in order to defend the state of Israel.”

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported 52 Israeli strikes, while Lebanon also targeted military sites in northern Israel.

Israel launches major strikes on Lebanon as Hezbollah chief says device explosions ‘cross all red lines’

07:00 , Holly Evans

Hezbollah has accused Israel of crossing “all red lines” with its deadly detonation of walkie-talkies and pagers, as Israeli forces launched a fresh wave of strikes across Lebanon.

Sonic booms from low-flying Israeli jets shook the buildings in Beirut during a televised speech by the militant group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah in which he warned this week’s unprecedented action “could be called a declaration of war”.

Israel has yet to confirm or deny it was behind the remote explosions which killed at least 37 people, including two children. More than 3,000 people were also wounded, according to the Lebanese health ministry, whose top medics told The Independent that they were struggling to treat such a huge influx of critical injuries.

Read the full story here:

Hezbollah chief says Lebanon device explosions ‘cross all red lines’

Israel vows Hezbollah to pay ‘increasing price’

06:25 , Namita Singh

As Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah addressed the nation on Al-Manar TV, deafening sonic booms from Israeli warplanes shook Beirut, a sound that has become common in recent months but has taken on greater significance as the threat of all-out war has ramped up.

Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said late on Thursday that Israel will keep up military action against Hezbollah.

“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,” Mr 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,” Mr Gallant said.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his close circle of ministers for consultations, Israel’s Channel 13 News reported.

Two Israeli soldiers were killed in combat on Thursday in Israel’s north, the Israeli military said.

Palestinians vow to pursue UN resolution on Israel's 'unlawful presence'

06:23 , Namita Singh

The Palestinian ambassador, Riyad Mansour, has confirmed that Palestinians will follow up on a UN resolution demanding Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and the occupied West Bank within a year. This resolution was adopted by the General Assembly just a day earlier.

Mr Mansour emphasised that Palestinians will respond promptly to any non-compliance. Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon sidestepped the issue, instead highlighting Israel’s role in combating Iran and the groups it backs, such as Hamas and Hezbollah.

The battle, he said, “threatens the entire region and the world”.

The Palestinian and Israeli envoys spoke at a council meeting focusing on a resolution its members adopted in December 2016 demanding that Israel “immediately and completely cease all settlement activities” in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem.

UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland told the council in a video briefing that Israel has expanded - not halted - settlement activities.

Arms exports allow Israel to defend itself from Hezbollah, says Trade Secretary

06:00 , Holly Evans

Restrictions on UK arms exports to Israel are “fair” and “proportionate”, Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has said.

The UK suspended some arms export licences to Israel earlier this month over concerns the country is violating international humanitarian law in Gaza.

Mr Reynolds said the existing arms rules still allow Israel to “defend itself” against Lebanon.

Read the full article:

Arms exports allow Israel to defend itself from Hezbollah, says Trade Secretary

Hezbollah chief condemns 'war crimes' as Lebanon blasts kill 37

05:44 , Namita Singh

At least 37 people were killed and around 3,000 injured in Lebanon this week after explosives-laden Hezbollah radios and pagers detonated in suspected Israeli attacks.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah denounced the blasts as “crossing all red lines” in a televised address on Thursday.

“The enemy has breached all controls, laws, and morals,” he said, suggesting the attacks “could be considered war crimes or a declaration of war.”Israel has declined to comment on the incidents, which security sources attribute to its Mossad spy agency.

A letter from Lebanon’s UN mission to the Security Council alleged Israel detonated the devices remotely using pre-installed explosives and electronic messages.The Security Council is set to convene on Friday to address the crisis. Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati urged the council to take decisive action against Israel’s “aggression” and “technological war”.

Israel unleashes heavy strikes on Lebanon as US, UK urge restraint

05:34 , Namita Singh

Israeli warplanes carried out late on Thursday their most intense strikes on southern Lebanon in nearly a year of war, heightening the conflict between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah amid calls for restraint.

The White House said a diplomatic solution was achievable and urgent, and Britain called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The US is “afraid and concerned about potential escalation,” White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told a briefing.

The intense barrage followed attacks earlier in the week attributed by Lebanon and Hezbollah to Israel that blew up Hezbollah radios and pagers, killing 37 people and wounding about 3,000 in Lebanon.

In Thursday’s late operation, Israel’s military said its jets over two hours struck hundreds of multiple-rocket-launcher barrels in southern Lebanon that were set to be fired immediately toward Israel.

The bombardment included more than 52 strikes across southern Lebanon after 9pm, Lebanon’s state news agency NNA said. Three Lebanese security sources said these were the heaviest aerial strikes since the conflict began in October.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Israel’s military vowed to continue to attack Hezbollah and said its strikes throughout Thursday hit about 100 rocket launchers plus other targets in southern Lebanon.

Taiwan probes possible ties to Lebanon explosions

05:13 , Namita Singh

Taiwan’s foreign minister Lin Chia-lung denied meeting with Israel’s de facto ambassador to discuss the Lebanon attacks.

Speaking to reporters at parliament, he said: “We are asking our missions abroad to raise their security awareness and will exchange relevant information with other countries.”

Meanwhile, Taiwanese authorities are investigating potential links between local tech firm Gold Apollo and the devices used.

The Shilin District Prosecutors Office is searching four locations of the firm in Taiwan. “We’ll seek to determine if there was any possible involvement of these Taiwanese companies as soon as possible, to ensure the safety of the country and its people,” the spokesperson said.

Components for pagers used in Lebanon blasts are not from Taiwan, minister says

05:11 , Namita Singh

Components used in thousands of pagers that detonated on Tuesday in Lebanon in a deadly blow to Hezbollah were not made in Taiwan, Taiwan’s economy minister said on Friday.

Taiwan-based Gold Apollo said this week it did not manufacture the devices used in the attack, and that Budapest-based company BAC to which the pagers were traced has a license to use its brand.

It was not clear how or when the pagers were weaponised so they could be remotely detonated. The same applied to the hundreds of hand-held radios used by Hezbollah that exploded on Wednesday in a second wave of attacks.

“The components are (mainly) low-end IC (integrated circuits) and batteries,” Taiwan’s economy minister Kuo Jyh-huei told reporters.

When he was pressed on whether the parts in the pagers that exploded were made in Taiwan, he said, “I can say with certainty they were not made in Taiwan,” adding the case is being investigated by judicial authorities.

Japan company denies making Hezbollah walkie-talkies that exploded in Lebanon

05:00 , Holly Evans

The Japanese maker of the brand of walkie-talkies thought to have exploded in Lebanon has denied making the detonating devices – but has given its take on what could have been used.

Hand-held radios used by armed group Hezbollah detonated across Lebanon’s south on Wednesday, stoking tensions after similar explosions of pagers the day before.

Lebanon’s health ministry said 20 people were killed and more than 450 injured on the second attack in Beirut’s suburbs and the Bekaa Valley, while the death toll from Tuesday’s explosions rose to 12, including two children, with nearly 3,000 injured.

Read the full article here:

Japan company denies making Hezbollah walkie-talkies that exploded in Lebanon

US briefed on Israel's Lebanon plans, but not specifics of attack

04:44 , Namita Singh

Israel notified US defence secretary Lloyd Austin of a planned military operation in Lebanon on Tuesday, but provided no details, according to US officials. Hours later, thousands of pagers belonging to Hezbollah militants mysteriously exploded, killing at least 37 people, including two children, and injuring around 3,000.

The pager explosions were part of a coordinated attack on Hezbollah members, many of whom were seriously wounded. The devices, rigged with small amounts of explosives, detonated in several areas with strong Hezbollah presence, including Beirut’s Dahieh suburb, southern Lebanon, and the Beqaa Valley near the Syrian border.

Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant and Austin had multiple conversations throughout the week, fueling concerns of escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. The US acknowledged being briefed after the initial attack but claimed surprise at the specifics of the operations. Notably, the US denied receiving advance warning of the second wave of attacks targeting walkie-talkie radios.

Taiwanese pager firm chief questioned over Hezbollah explosions

04:17 , Namita Singh

Taipei prosecutors grilled Gold Apollo president Hsu Ching-kuang late on Thursday over links to thousands of pagers used in blasts targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Mr Hsu denied manufacturing the devices, blaming Budapest-based BAC, which licenses Gold Apollo’s brand. However, destroyed pagers analysed by Reuters bore stickers and formatting consistent with Gold Apollo products.

Mr Hsu declined comment as he left the prosecutors’ office. A second individual, Teresa Wu of Apollo Systems Ltd, was also questioned. Mr Hsu said this week a person called Ms Teresa had been one of his contacts for the deal with Hungary-based firm BAC.

Company records show Apollo Systems was set up by Wu in April this year. It was not immediately clear what the relationship is between her company and BAC.

Taiwan’s government has said it is investigating what happened and police have made several visits to Hsu’s company, in a small, unassuming office in Taipei’s next door city of New Taipei.

Exploding device attacks in Lebanon ‘utterly despicable’, says Harris

04:00 , Holly Evans

The exploding device attacks in the Lebanon are “utterly despicable and extraordinarily dangerous”, the Taoiseach has said.

Simon Harris said the safety of Irish troops currently based in the country on UN missions was an “absolute priority” for the Government.

“There are basic rules around engagement, even in conflict, and at the very core is the idea that you don’t send explosive devices in among civilian populations and to watch explosions taking place in supermarkets,” he said.

Read the full article here:

Exploding device attacks in Lebanon ‘utterly despicable’, says Harris

Recap: Tensions continue throughout Thursday as rockets launched

03:00 , Holly Evans

In Thursday’s late operation, Israel launched dozens of bombs across southern Lebanon, three Lebanese security sources said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Israeli radio stations reported that dozens of fighter jets struck Hezbollah targets including around 100 rocket launchers.

Israel’s military did not confirm the shelling but said earlier it had struck dozens of Hezbollah targets, including rocket launchers and weapon depots in southern Lebanon.

In a TV address on Thursday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the device explosions on Tuesday and Wednesday “crossed all red lines”.

“The enemy went beyond all controls, laws and morals,” he said, adding the attacks “could be considered war crimes or a declaration of war.”

Deep into the smartphone era, who is still using pagers?

02:00 , Holly Evans

The small plastic box that beeped and flashed numbers was a lifeline to Laurie Dove in 1993. Pregnant with her first baby in a house beyond any town in rural Kansas, Dove used the little black device to keep in touch with her husband as he delivered medical supplies. He carried one too. They had a code.

“If I really needed something I would text ‘9-1-1.’ That meant anything from, ‘I’m going to labor right now’ to ‘I really need to get ahold of you,’” she recalls. “It was our version of texting. I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockers. It was important.”

Beepers and all they symbolized — connection to each other or, in the 1980s, to drugs — went the way of answering machines decades ago when smartphones wiped them from popular culture. They resurfaced in tragic form Tuesday when thousands of sabotaged pagers exploded simultaneously in Lebanon, killing at least a dozen people and injuring thousands in a mysterious, multi-day attack as Israel declared a new phase of its war on Hezbollah.

Read the full article here:

The Lebanon explosions raise a question: Deep into the smartphone era, who is still using pagers?

What has boobytrapping Hezbollah’s pagers actually achieved?

01:00 , Holly Evans

As a global propaganda coup for the Israeli security services, the pager attacks on Hezbollah members in Lebanon could scarcely be surpassed.

What kind of a mind, one wonders, dreams up such a macabre lark as this, an “exploding cigar” practical joke on a grand scale?

The sheer audacity of it was very much in the Israeli tradition, and it made some points rather forcefully. It proved that the Israelis could intercept Hezbollah supply lines, and with such ease that they could find the time to fit a few grams of military-grade explosives to each device, disguised as an electronic component.

Read the full article here:

What has boobytrapping Hezbollah’s pagers actually achieved?

Lammy ‘concerned’ by civilian casualties in ongoing Lebanon conflict

Friday 20 September 2024 00:00 , Holly Evans

The Foreign Secretary has expressed concern about “rising tensions and civilian casualties” in Lebanon amid ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israel is reported to have carried out air strikes on southern Lebanon on Thursday afternoon as Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed to retaliate following this week’s attacks that targeted Lebanese militants with exploding pagers.

In a televised speech, Mr Nasrallah said the attacks, widely believed to have been carried out by Israel, had been a “severe blow” and claimed they had killed dozens, including children, and wounded thousands.

Read the full article here:

Lammy ‘concerned’ by civilian casualties in ongoing Lebanon conflict

Ceasefire deal over Gaza unlikely by end of Biden’s term, say reports

Thursday 19 September 2024 23:43 , Holly Evans

US officials now believe that a Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is not expected before the end of Joe Biden’s term in January, the Wall Street Journal has reported.

The newspaper cited top-level officials in the White House, State Department and Pentagon without naming them.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said two weeks ago that 90 per cent of a ceasefire deal had been agreed upon while Vice President Kamala Harris has repeatedly said Washington has been working “around the clock” to get to an agreement.

The United States and mediators Qatar and Egypt have for months made attempts to reach a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas but have failed to arrive at a final agreement.

The exploding device attacks dealt a major but not crippling blow to Hezbollah, analysts say

Thursday 19 September 2024 23:00 , Holly Evans

The waves of remotely triggered explosions that hit pagers and walkie-talkies carried by Hezbollah members in grocery stores, on streets and at a funeral procession this week made for an eerie and shocking spectacle.

Analysts said Hezbollah will be able to regroup militarily and find communications workarounds after the attack, but the psychological effects will likely run deep.

The explosions — widely blamed on Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied involvement — killed at least 37 people, including two children, wounded more than 3,000 and deeply unsettled even Lebanese who have no Hezbollah affiliation.

Read the full article here:

The exploding device attacks dealt a major but not crippling blow to Hezbollah, analysts say

Israel destroys 1,000 Hezbollah rocket launcher barrels, military says

Thursday 19 September 2024 22:30 , Holly Evans

Israeli fighter jets have pounded Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon over the past few hours, striking hundreds of rocket launcher barrels that were set to be used to immediately fire toward Israeli territory, the military said.

It said that since the afternoon fighter jets struck some 100 rocket launchers consisting of about 1,000 barrels.

“The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) will continue to operate to degrade the Hezbollah terrorist organization’s infrastructure and capabilities in order to defend the State of Israel,” the IDF said.

US hasn’t signaled an increase in troops as they maintain presence in Middle East

Thursday 19 September 2024 22:04 , Holly Evans

The US has kept an increased military presence in the Middle East throughout much of the past year, with about 40,000 forces, at least a dozen warships and four Air Force fighter jet squadrons spread across the region.

As attacks between Israel and Hezbollah sharply spiked this week, worries are growing that the conflict could escalate into an all-out war, even as Tel Aviv keeps up its nearly yearlong fight against Hamas militants in Gaza.

So far, the US hasn’t signaled a troop increase or change as a result of the latest attacks, and there is already a beefed-up force in the region.A military official said the additional resources have helped as the US patrols various conflict areas, including operations targeting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, defending Israel and countering threats from Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have targeted commercial ships in the Red Sea and launched ballistic missiles at Israel.

Diplomatic solution in Middle East 'urgent," White House says

Thursday 19 September 2024 21:30 , Holly Evans

A diplomatic solution in the Middle East is achievable and is urgent, the White House said on Thursday, as Reuters reported Israel carried out dozens of strikes across southern Lebanon.

The White House believes a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas would “lower the temperature” in the region, spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Israel say its conflict with Hezbollah is part of wider confrontation with Iran

Thursday 19 September 2024 21:15 , Holly Evans

Israel says its conflict with Hezbollah, like its war in Gaza against Hamas, is part of a wider regional confrontation with Iran, which sponsors both groups as well as armed movements in Syria, Yemen and Iraq.

Also on Thursday, Israeli security forces said that an Israeli businessman had been arrested last month after attending at least two meetings in Iran where he discussed assassinating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the defence minister or the head of the Shin Bet spy agency.

Israel has been accused of assassinations including a blast in Tehran that killed the leader of Hamas and another in a Beirut suburb that killed a senior Hezbollah commander within hours of each other in July.

Exploding devices in Lebanon 'detonated by electronic messages'

Thursday 19 September 2024 21:12 , Holly Evans

A preliminary investigation by Lebanese authorities into the communications devices that blew uphave found that they were implanted with explosives before arriving in the country.

According to a letter sent by the Lebanese mission to the UN, they were detonated by sending electronic messages to the devices.

Israel was responsible for the planning and execution of the attacks, they added.

The 15-member Security Council is due to meet on Friday over the blasts.

How the plot to explode Hezbollah’s pagers and walkie-talkies unfolded

Thursday 19 September 2024 21:00 , Holly Evans

Shut it off, bury it, put it in an iron chest and lock it up,” the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah declared in February, talking about the mobile phones belonging to members and their families.

“The collaborator [with the Israelis] is the cell phone in your hands, and those of your wife and your children. This cell phone is the collaborator and the killer,” he added. “Do it for the sake of security and to protect the blood and dignity of people.”

After months of near-daily fire across the Israel-Lebanon border, Hezbollah were concerned about Israeli location and tracking and spyware via mobile phones – which could allow for targeted strikes or disruptions to operations.

Read the full article here:

How the plot to explode Hezbollah’s pagers and walkie-talkies unfolded

Hunt for origins of Lebanon pager attack widens to Bulgaria and Norway

Thursday 19 September 2024 20:40 , Holly Evans

Bulgaria and Norway became new focal points on Thursday of a global hunt for who supplied Hezbollah with the thousands of pagers that exploded in Lebanon this week in a deadly blow to the militant group.

How and with whose help the pager attack was carried out was not yet known, although so far there were possible leads in Taiwan, Hungary and Bulgaria.

One theory is that the pagers were intercepted and hooked up with explosives after they left factories. Another is that Israel orchestrated the whole deadly supply chain.

Bulgarian authorities said on Thursday that its interior ministry and state security services had opened an investigation into a company’s possible ties. They did not name the company they were investigating.

Local media reports said Sofia-based Norta Global Ltd had facilitated the sale of the pagers to Hezbollah. Citing security sources, national broadcaster bTV reported that 1.6 million euros related to the transaction passed through Bulgaria, and was sent to Hungary.

Pager attack likely to disrupt Hezbollah’s internal communication

Thursday 19 September 2024 20:20 , Holly Evans

Israel began moving more troops to its border with Lebanon on Wednesday as a precautionary measure, Israeli officials have said. It comes as Israel’s army chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, said plans have been drawn up for additional action against Hezbollah, though media reported the government has not yet decided whether to launch a major offensive in Lebanon.

In Lebanon, their military said it has been locating and detonating suspicious pagers and communication devices, while the country’s civil aviation authorities banned pagers and walkie-talkies on all airplanes departing from Beirut’s international airport until further notice.

The attack was likely to severely disrupt Hezbollah’s internal communication as it scrambles to determine safe means to talk to each other. Hezbollah announced the death of five combatants Thursday, but didn’t specify if they were killed in the explosions or on the front lines.

Israel has carried out dozens of strikes in southern Lebanon

Thursday 19 September 2024 19:56 , Holly Evans

Israel carried out dozens of strikes on Thursday across southern Lebanon, three Lebanese security sources told Reuters.

They added it was some of the most intense bombing since the start of the war in October.

Read the full story: Israel launches major strikes on Lebanon

Thursday 19 September 2024 19:38 , Holly Evans

Hezbollah has accused Israel of crossing “all red lines” with its deadly detonation of walkie-talkies and pagers, as Israeli forces launched a fresh wave of strikes across Lebanon.

Sonic booms from low-flying Israeli jets shook the buildings in Beirut during a televised speech by the militant group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah in which he warned this week’s unprecedented action “could be called a declaration of war”.

Israel has yet to confirm or deny it was behind the remote explosions, which killed at least 37 people including two children. More than 3,000 people were also wounded, according to the Lebanese health ministry, whose top medics told The Independent that they were struggling to treat such a huge influx of critical injuries.

Read the full article here:

Hezbollah chief says Lebanon device explosions ‘cross all red lines’

No US military changes in Middle East, says Pentagon

Thursday 19 September 2024 19:17 , Holly Evans

There are no changes to US military posture in the Middle East, the Pentagon told reporters on Thursday when asked about recent deadly Israeli attacks in Lebanon that blew up Hezbollah radios and pagers.

They added that any further attack in the region would not be helpful, and that they did not believe a ceasefire deal in Gaza was falling apart.

US state department says US does not want to see conflict escalate

Thursday 19 September 2024 19:06 , Holly Evans

The United States does not want to see any party escalate the conflict in the Middle East, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

His comments come as tensions in the region between Iran-backed Lebanese movement Hezbollah and Israel remained high.

Miller said at a regular briefing that Washington was committed to the defence of Israel against terrorist groups including Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies but cautioned that Washington’s priority was to deescalate the situation.

Voices: The Hezbollah pager attacks prove that Israel has no strategy for peace

Thursday 19 September 2024 18:58 , Holly Evans

Paging devices used by Hezbollah forces in Lebanon and Syria exploded near-simultaneously on 17 September, leaving 12 dead and almost 3,000 injured. The following day later, walkie-talkies exploded all over Lebanon, killing 20 and injuring at least 400. Both attacks are widely assumed to be the work of Israel.

The scale of the attacks, as well as their theatrical nature, can be seen as a bid by Israel’s military and intelligence forces to repair their reputation, left in tatters following the 7 October Hamas attacks.

It could also represent an attempt by Israel to address the problem of its northern border. Visiting the area this week, I have seen the effects of the continual exchanges of rocket and missile attacks, which have led to 60,000 people being evacuated from Israeli towns. According to reports, Lebanese villages have also been evacuated as a result of the fighting.

Read the full article from Bronwen Maddox here:

The Hezbollah pager attacks prove that Israel has no strategy for peace

Latest pictures from Lebanon’s border

Thursday 19 September 2024 18:47 , Holly Evans

US defence secretary postpones trip to Israel

Thursday 19 September 2024 18:31 , Holly Evans

The US secretary of defence, Lloyd Austin, has postponed a planned trip next week to Israel due to the escalation on the Israeli-Lebanese border, Axios is reporting, citing Israeli sources.

UK foreign secretary urges British nationals to leave Lebanon

Thursday 19 September 2024 18:16 , Holly Evans

UK’s foreign secretary David Lammy has urged British nationals to leave Lebanon while “commercial options remain”.

He added: “Tensions are high and the situation could deteriorate rapidly.”

Bulgaria investigating Sofia-based company over pager detonations

Thursday 19 September 2024 17:52 , Holly Evans

Bulgarian broadcaster bTV reported on Thursday that 1.6 million euros connected to the deadly exploding pagers attack in Lebanon passed through Bulgaria and were transferred on to Hungary. It cited sources at the State Agency for National Security.

Bulgarian authorities said on Thursday that their interior ministry and state security services had opened an investigation into a company’s possible ties.

They did not name the company they were investigating. Local media reports said Sofia-based Norta Global Ltd had facilitated the sale of the pagers to Hezbollah.

Israel warns Hezbollah will pay an ‘increasing price’, says defence minister

Thursday 19 September 2024 17:31 , Holly Evans

Israel will keep up military action against Lebanese Hezbollah, though the new phase of fighting does include significant risks, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Thursday.

“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.

US and France call for restraint between Lebanon and Israel

Thursday 19 September 2024 17:25 , Holly Evans

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said he does not want to see any escalatory actions by any party that make a Gaza ceasefire deal even more difficult, adding that he believed a ceasefire remains possible and necessary.

It comes as other world leaders including Emmanuel Macron urge restraint, with the French leader holding phone calls with top political and military leaders from Lebanon.

He also had a separate conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after the wave of explosions of pagers and radio devices.

Israeli hospitals treat eight patients after drones crash across border

Thursday 19 September 2024 17:09 , Holly Evans

Hezbollah said earlier on Thursday it had targeted three military positions in northern Israel near the border, two of them with drones.

The Israeli military said the drones crashed near communities. Hospitals reported they treated at least eight patients lightly or moderately injured. The military said early on Thursday it had struck several militant sites in southern Lebanon overnight.

The volley of strikes was a signal by Hezbollah that it would continue its near daily fire, which it says is a show of support for Hamas. Israel’s 11-month-old war with Hamas in Gaza began after its militants led the October 7 attack on Israel.

Israel has responded to Hezbollah’s fire with strikes in southern Lebanon, and has struck senior figures from the group in the capital Beirut. The exchanges have killed hundreds in Lebanon and dozens in Israel and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents on each side of the border.

Lebanon’s prime minister calls on UN to take a ‘firm stance'

Thursday 19 September 2024 16:53 , Holly Evans

Lebanon’s prime minister, Najib Mikati, has called on the UN to take a “firm stance” against Israel ahead of a meeting of the UN security council on Friday.

“This matter does not only concern Lebanon but all of humanity,” Mikati said in a statement.

It follows days of escalated tension between the two countries, with thousands injured and 37 killed by booby-trapped radios and pagers that were being used by the militant group Hezbollah.

Booby-trapped devices have ‘seriously disrupted’ Lebanon’s fragile healthcare system

Thursday 19 September 2024 16:43 , Holly Evans

Explosions in booby-trapped radios and pagers in Lebanon this week seriously disrupted its fragile health sector, the World Health Organization chief has said.

The UN health agency cited Lebanese health authorities’ toll that 37 people had been killed and more than 3,000 injured in the pager blasts that detonated in areas considered strongholds of the anti-Israel militant group Hezbollah.

“These events have seriously disrupted Lebanon’s already fragile health system,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference, adding that the global body had distributed blood supplies and trauma kits in the country.

“The whole health system came under immense pressure very, very quickly,” said WHO emergencies chief Mike Ryan at the same briefing.

WHO’s representative in Lebanon Dr Abdinasir Abubakar said 100 hospitals were involved in the response. A series of drills ahead of the attacks and the stockpiling of emergency supplies helped prepare doctors and nurses in advance and limited the casualties, he said.

Latest pictures from Lebanon as airstrikes continue along the border

Thursday 19 September 2024 16:37 , Holly Evans

Israel will face a ‘crushing response’, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards commander says

Thursday 19 September 2024 16:30 , Holly Evans

Israel will face “a crushing response from the axis of resistance”, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards has said, according to Iranian state media.

Hossein Salami reportedly told Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah this during a conversation after three days of escalated tension between Lebanon and Israel, which has seen thousands injured in pager explosions.

The so-called “axis of resistance” refers to a group of militant Islamist groups that form the informal Iranian-led military coalition. They include Hezbollah, the Houthi rebels in Yemen and Shia armed groups in Iraq and Syria.

Leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group says facing ‘big hit will not make us fall down’

Thursday 19 September 2024 16:28 , Tara Cobham

The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group said they have faced “a very big hit but it will not make us fall down”.

Speaking from an undisclosed location on Thursday, Hassan Nasrallah also said: “It is unprecented in Lebanon this kind of aggression.”

Turkey reviews security of communication devices after Lebanon blasts, official says

Thursday 19 September 2024 16:24 , Tara Cobham

Turkey is reviewing its measures to secure the communication devices used by its armed forces after the deadly blasts in Lebanon, a Turkish defence ministry official said on Thursday.

The Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Turkey's military exclusively used domestically-produced equipment but Ankara had additional control mechanisms in place if a third party is involved in procurement or production of devices.

"Whether in the operations we carry out, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and as with the Lebanon example, measures are reviewed and new measures are being developed as part of the lessons learned following each development," the official said.

The unprecedented attacks on Lebanon this week have prompted concerns over cyber-security around the region.

Iraq's national security council said on Wednesday it would take preventive measures against any possible breach from electronic imports, adding that intensive security checks will be implemented on imports along with stronger border checks.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Thursday told state-owned Anadolu news agency that establishing an independent agency for cyber-security specifically was on the government's agenda after President Tayyip Erdogan voiced a necessity for it, and added it would be formed "very soon".

Hadi Al Bahra, president of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, told Reuters in an interview in Istanbul on Thursday that the blasts in Lebanon had prompted some opposition forces in northern Syria to rethink the security of communication devices and supply chains.

"It's a point of concern for them and they are reviewing their gear," he said of the Syrian National Army, an opposition faction backed by Turkey which controls swathes of territory in northern Syria.

Two Israeli soldiers killed near Lebanon border

Thursday 19 September 2024 16:21 , Holly Evans

Israel has said in a statement that two of its soldiers were killed by latest Hezbollah strikes across the Lebanon border.

The armed group previously said it had struck what it said were three military positions in northern Israel, hitting two with armed drones.

Israel’s N12 News said one of them was killed by a drone and the other by an anti-tank missile.

France's Macron urges restraint in Lebanon after wave of explosions

Thursday 19 September 2024 16:18 , Tara Cobham

French President Emmanuel Macron held phone calls with top political and military leaders from Lebanon, his office said on Thursday, urging restraint after a wave of explosions of pagers and radio devices.

Macron asked Lebanese leaders to pass on messages to local groups including Hezbollah to avoid further escalation, the Elysee said, amid fears of a wider war.

Hezbollah chief vows to punish Israel after communications blasts

Thursday 19 September 2024 16:11 , Tara Cobham

Hezbollah chief Hassan Sayyed Nasrallah said on Thursday the attacks on his group's communications devices blamed on Israel will be met with "just punishment".

Hezbollah leader says pager attack crossed ‘red line’ as wider war fears mount

Thursday 19 September 2024 16:01 , Tara Cobham

The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah group accused Israel of targeting thousands of pagers and detonated them at the same time, crossing a "red line".

Hassan Nasrallah said the group has formed committees to investigate how this attack over two days that wounded thousands happened. Nasrallah added that Hezbollah was subjected to an unprecedented blow.

"Yes, we were subjected to a huge and severe blow," Nasrallah said describing the past two days as harsh. He vowed Hezbollah would get over the blow.

Nasrallah said: "The enemy crossed all boundaries and red lines. Some of the explosions took place in hospitals, pharmacies, clinics, homes, cars and streets where many civilians are present."

Nasrallah added that as a result of "this aggression dozens were killed including women and children and thousands were wounded".

Israeli jets are carrying out huge sonic booms over Beirut, says witness

Thursday 19 September 2024 15:46 , Tara Cobham

Israeli jets have been carrying out huge sonic booms over the Lebanese capital Beirut during a speech by Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday, a Reuters witness said.

Lebanese residents, already on edge following this week’s blasts across the country that the group blamed on Israel, were panicked fearing a major escalation.

Hezbollah leader blames Israel for devices attacks that he calls declaration of war

Thursday 19 September 2024 15:30 , Tara Cobham

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has blamed Israel for the detonation of devices in Lebanon this week, calling the attacks a declaration of war.

He described the attacks as “carnages”, which are seen as “aggression” against Lebanon’s resistance and security – or “declaring war”.