Israel has crossed ‘all red lines’ in pager ‘massacre’, says Hezbollah leader

Israel struck sites in Lebanon just as Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, was about to deliver his first statement since dozens were killed in pager and walkie-talkie explosions in Lebanon this week
Israel struck sites in Lebanon just as Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader, was about to deliver his first statement since dozens were killed in pager and walkie-talkie explosions in Lebanon this week

Israeli jets triggered huge sonic booms during a speech by Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday.

Nasrallah, speaking for the first time since twin pager-and-radio attacks killed dozens across Lebanon, said Israel had crossed all ‘red lines’.

The attacks could be seen as “a declaration of war,” he added.

But his keenly-awaited address was disrupted by the sound of sonic booms from low-flying Israeli jets ringing across the Lebanese capital.

Minutes before he began, the IDF confirmed it had also struck a series of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.

Nasrallah described the remote-controlled detonation of thousands of communication devices as a “massacre”.

Explosions “happened in hospitals, in pharmacies, hospitals, in markets, in shops, in houses, in cars…in streets where many civilians were along with women and children”.

He added that he hoped Israel invades southern Lebanon, as it will create a “historic opportunity” for Hezbollah.

“The enemy will face a severe and fair punishment from where they expect and don’t expect,” Nasrallah said in his closing remarks.


05:29 PM BST

That’s all for today

We’re pausing our live coverage of the conflict in the Middle East for today.

Here’s a roundup of the latest news:

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

  • Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s chief, vowed a ‘severe’ punishment after Israel after it ‘violated all red lines’

  • Israeli jets triggered sonic booms during his speech after striking sites across southern Lebanon

  • A 73-year-old pensioner was arrested on suspicion of being hired by Iran to assassinate Benjamin Netanyahu

  • Mass funerals took place in Beirut for Hezbollah members killed in pager blasts

  • There is a fear and defiance in Hezbollah stronghold, according to our correspondent in Beirut

  • Death toll from walkie-talkie blasts rose to 25, taking overall death toll from explosions to 37

  • Benjamin Netanyahu accused Keir Starmer of ‘undermining’ Israel

  • The Middle East is the “closest” it has been to an all-out war in 50 years, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the UK said

Read more:


05:20 PM BST

Israel defence minister: Hezbollah will pay ‘increasing price’

Israel will keep up military action against Lebanese Hezbollah, though the new phase of fighting does include significant risks, Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defence minsiter, said in the wake of Hassan Nasrallah’s speech.

“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,” he added.

Yoav Gallant, Israel's defence minister, said Hezbollah will pay an 'increasing price'
Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defence minister, said Hezbollah will pay an ‘increasing price’ - Reuters

05:17 PM BST

Israel ‘supplied exploding pagers to Hezbollah’

Explosive pagers were used in attacks in Lebanon on Tuesday
Explosive pagers were used in attacks in Lebanon on Tuesday - AFP

Israel allegedly set up a shell company that has supplied Hezbollah with pagers since 2022, according to a US media report.

Pagers were used in an explosives attack in Lebanon on Tuesday, which left 12 members of the terror group dead and thousands injured.

A supply chain trail allegedly led to Hungarian firm BAC Consulting, which appears to have a contract to manufacture beepers under a licensing agreement from Gold Apollo, a Taiwanese company.

However, the Budapest-based company was a front and part of a secret operation to send pagers to Hezbollah in 2022, the New York Times claimed, citing intelligence sources.

Read the full story here.


05:09 PM BST

‘We don’t want to see escalation,’ says Blinken

The US does not want to see escalation by “any party” in the Middle East, Antony Blinken said as he arrived in Paris for talks.

The US secretary of state did not explicitly condemn Israel’s detonation of hundreds of communication devices used by Hezbollah operatives.

But Washington, along with France, have urged both sides to avoid actions that could trigger all-out war.

The Paris meeting - scheduled to last just a few hours - will focus on the state of talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire in Gaza and the situation in Lebanon.


04:42 PM BST

Watch: Sky News reporter interrupted by Israeli jets breaking sound barrier


04:36 PM BST

Two Israeli soldiers killed by Hezbollah strikes

Israel says two of its soldiers were killed by latest Hezbollah strikes across the Lebanon border.

The announcement came while Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was finishing his speech, where he vowed Israel would “face a severe and fair punishment from where they expect and don’t expect” following the pager attacks.


04:32 PM BST

WHO: Explosions disrupt Lebanon’s ‘fragile health system’

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

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

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


04:28 PM BST

Watch: Funerals underway for Hezbollah fighters killed in blasts


04:18 PM BST

Israel will face ‘crushing response from axis of resistance’, says IRGC chief

Israel will face “a crushing response from the axis of resistance”, Hossein Salami, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Commander, told Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday, Iranian state media reported.

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


04:12 PM BST

IDF chief approves battle plans for northern front

Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, the chief of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), has approved battle plans for the northern front, the military said.

The northern front refers to the near-daily attacks launched by Hezbollah into Israel that has displaced tens of thousands on both sides of the border.

The statement, which did not provide further details, came just as Hassan Nasrallah, the chief of Hezbollah, began his much-anticipated speech following the mass explosions of communication devices in Lebanon.


04:07 PM BST

Watch: Moment Nasrallah says Israel violated ‘all red lines’


04:05 PM BST

Hezbollah infrastructure ‘not touched’, claims Nasrallah

Hezbollah’s command and control infrastructure was not been impacted in the pager attacks, Hassan Nasrallah has claimed.

He also said that senior Hezbollah commanders do not carry the pager models that exploded on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“I reassure you our infrastructure has not been touched,” he said.


03:59 PM BST

Pictured: Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon

Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike hit the Tyre, in southern Lebanon
Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike hit the Tyre, in southern Lebanon - Anadolu

03:57 PM BST

‘We will not stop until Gaza war ends’

Hassan Nasrallah vowed that Hezbollah would not give up its “resistance” against Israel, including the continued rocket and drone attacks, until the war in Gaza comes to an end.

“The resistance in Lebanon will not stop supporting the resistance in Gaza, the West Bank and all the aggrieved,” he said.


03:46 PM BST

Nasrallah promises internal probe into explosions

The chief of Hezbollah said the Lebanese militant group will “not jump to conclusions”, instead promising an internal probe into the explosions of thousands of communication devices used by the group.


03:44 PM BST

This attack ‘did not bring us to our knees’ - Nasrallah

Hassan Nasrallah said that Hezbollah will not be brought to “our knees” by the pager attacks.

“We cannot be broken by this blow, no matter how big or strong it is. And I can assure you faithfully and with confidence, this hard, unprecedented blow did not bring us to our knees – and it will not,” he declared.

“These are lessons to learn,” Nasrallah he added, promising to improve security.


03:36 PM BST

Watch: IDF hits targets in Lebanon as Hezbollah leader speaks


03:33 PM BST

Pager attacks could be a ‘declaration of war’

Hassan Nasrallah is now well into his three-part speech and has described the pager attacks blamed on Israel as a possible “declaration of war”.

The Hezbollah leader said Israel’s level of a aggression is “unprecedented in Lebanon, unprecedented in our struggle against the enemy, unprecedented in the region or the scale of whole world”.


03:33 PM BST

Sonic booms heard as Nasrallah gives his speech

Israeli planes flew at very low altitude over Beirut as Nasrallah gave his speech. Sonic booms and massive explosions were heard.

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.


03:27 PM BST

Nasrallah: ‘This is very big hit for us’

Hassan Nasrallah admitted that the pager blasts that have left 37 dead and 3,500 wounded was a “very bit hit for us”.

“This was a big test for us, but we have managed, we will overcome this test with high spirits,” he said in his televised address.

“This was a very big hit but we will not fail.. we will be stronger, more powerful”.


03:23 PM BST

Israel launches wave of strikes just before Nasrallah speech

Israel launched a fresh wave of strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Thursday as the terror group’s leader began his first statement since dozens were killed in a wave of pager and walkie-talkie explosions this week.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed that its chief of staff had approved plans for the northern area, accusing Hezbollah of turning southern Lebanon into a combat zone.

“For decades, Hezbollah has weaponized civilian homes, dug tunnels beneath them, and used civilians as human shields,” the statement read.

“The IDF 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.”

The IDF announcement came as Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s chief, accused Israel of crossing “all red lines” with the explosive device attacks.


03:20 PM BST

‘It was genocide, it was a massacre’ - Nasrallah

The Hezbollah leader then referred to the pager blasts on Tuesday and Wednesday as a “genocide, a massacre”.

Hassan Nasrallah said Israel’s intention was to kill 4,000 in one minute on Tuesday, and another thousand on Wednesday, adding that “our enemy” had partly failed.


03:17 PM BST

Nasrallah says Israel violated ‘all red lines’

In his speech, Hassan Nasrallah said the enemy, referring to Israel, violated “all red lines” by targeting “hospitals, markets, shops, houses, cars, streets” on Tuesday and Wednesday.

He said: “What happened on Tuesday constitutes a violation of all laws and red lines, without regard for anything, neither humanitarian nor ethical.”

“We’ll call them the ‘Tuesday massacre’ and the ‘Wednesday massacre.’ Many disasters were avoided, as many wounds were minor, and a number of these beepers were switched off, while others had not yet been distributed,” Nasrallah added.


03:10 PM BST

Nasrallah prays for those injured in blasts

Hassan Nasrallah, chief of Hezbollah, said he is praying for the thousands of those injured in the blasts, saying many of those suffered major wounds to their eyes.

He thanked the people of Lebanon for the “biggest donation of blood” in the country’s history.


03:03 PM BST

Hezbollah chief’s speech gets under way

Nasrallah’s speech is now under way.

We will share updates as they come in.

Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, gives his first statement on the pager explosions
Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader, gives his first statement on the pager explosions

02:42 PM BST

Hezbollah chief’s statement due to begin shortly

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s chief, will give a statement in around 20 minutes after the explosions across Lebanon this week.

Hezbollah is a politically-influential Shia Muslim organisation which controls the most powerful armed force in the Middle Eastern country, which borders Israel.

The Iran-backed terror group ahs been trading blows with Israel since Hamas carried out its terror attacks on Oct 7.

We’ll bring you what he says as it comes in.


02:37 PM BST

German airline extends flight suspensions

German airline group Lufthansa has said it will extend a suspension of flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran and Beirut, as regional tensions soared following the deadly explosions in Lebanon this week.

“Flights to Tel Aviv and Tehran will be cancelled until September 24,” a spokesperson for the airline said. “Flights to Beirut will be suspended until October 26.”


02:19 PM BST

Watch: ‘Amal’ flags flown during Hezbollah funeral

Flags from the political Amal movement were seen waving at funerals for Hezbollah fighters on Thursday.

The Amal Movement is a political party and former militia associated with the Shia community in Lebanon.


02:02 PM BST

More pictures from funeral of Hezbollah fighters

Mourners gather for the funeral of Hezbollah fighters who were killed in Beirut after a series of explosive device attacks
Mourners gather for the funeral of Hezbollah fighters who were killed in Beirut after a series of explosive device attacks - REUTERS
Hezbollah members carry the coffins of two of their comrades who were killed on Wednesday
Hezbollah members carry the coffins of two of their comrades who were killed on Wednesday - AP
A young boy cries during the funeral of two Hezbollah fighters who were killed in Wednesday's walkie-talkie blasts
A young boy cries during the funeral of two Hezbollah fighters who were killed in Wednesday’s walkie-talkie blasts - AP

02:00 PM BST

‘Hitman’ sent to kill Netanyahu by Iran named as Israeli pensioner

A 73-year-old pensioner has been unmasked as the Israeli citizen arrested on suspicion of plotting to kill Benjamin Netanyahu in a plan devised by Iran.

Israeli security services said they arrested Moti Maman in August after he attended two meetings in Iran where they asked him to assassinate the Israeli prime minister. Yoav Gallant, the defence minister, and Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet intelligence agency, were also discussed as targets.

“The Israeli citizen entered Iran...smuggled through the border hidden inside a truck cabin,” an IDF statement read. “He met with additional Iranian intelligence agents and was asked by them to carry out activities for Iran on Israeli soil, including promoting assassination attacks.”

Mr Maman, who was smuggled into Iran in the back of a truck, allegedly demanded an advance payment of one million dollars before performing any action, the statement added. He was also allegedly given €5,000 for attending the meetings.

Eyal Besserglick, Mr Mamman’s lawyer, said his client made an “error of judgement” and is cooperating with Israel’s intelligence agencies.

“It can already be said that this is a person who has greatly assisted the security services of the State of Israel, whose children serve in the security forces,” Mr Besserglick added.

Israel claimed Iran asked Mr Maman to carry out the assassinations as revenge for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader, on Iranian soil in July, which Tehran attributed to Jerusalem.


01:56 PM BST

Israel will use ‘all means necessary’ to secure northern border

Continuing this afternoon’s press conference, the government spokesperson said Israel will use “all means necessary” to secure its northern border.

The spokesperson said: “Israel is responding with force to this aggression by Hezbollah. We will use all means necessary to restore security to our northern border, and to safely return our citizens to their homes.

“We will respond with force to this unprovoked aggression from Hezbollah,” he added.


01:43 PM BST

Netanyahu rejects claims he jeopardised hostage deal

Benjamin Netanyahu “completely rejects” any accusation that he has jeopardised efforts to secure a hostage deal in Gaza for his own political gain.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday afternoon, an Israeli government spokesperson said claims that Israel is holding up a deal “echoes the propaganda of Hamas”.

“The prime minister has accepted every American proposal for the release of hostages,” the spokesperson said.


01:33 PM BST

‘If people are nervous, they are not saying so’

If people are nervous at the funerals getting underway in southern Beirut — and given that walkie-talkies exploded in the ones that took place yesterday they could be forgiven if they were  — they are not saying so.

I’ve spoken to one Hezbollah member who has brought his seven-year-old son to witness the funeral of Fadel Abbas Bezzi, a relative and Hezbollah fighter who died yesterday when his walkie-talkie exploded.

“My son needs to be here whatever the risk,” the man said. “I am teaching him a lesson. We could all die soon and if we do the new generation need to understand what we are fighting for.”

Two men are being buried today, Bezzi and Ahmad Ali Hassan, both of whom died yesterday.

The ceremony is a solemn one. Hezbollah fighters in camouflage uniforms and red berets have formed a guard of honour. A brass band is playing. Young Boy Scouts in Hezbollah scarfs are standing to attention near the funeral biers. Shia imams are standing by to lead the prayers.

Men and women waving yellow Hezbollah flags have gathered but in fewer numbers than yesterday — perhaps showing that there is more nervousness in southern Beirut than some are letting on.


01:15 PM BST

In pictures: funerals held for Hezbollah fighters killed in walkie-talkie blasts

Adrian Blomfield, our correspondent in Beirut, has sent us some pictures from funerals being held for Hezbollah fighters who were killed in Wednesday’s walkie-talkie blasts.

A crowd gathers for the funeral of Hezbollah fighters who were killed in Wednesday's attack
A crowd gathers for the funeral of Hezbollah fighters who were killed in Wednesday’s attack - Adrian Blomfield
Funerals are getting under way for Hezbollah fighters who were killed in Wednesday's walkie-talkie blasts
Funerals are getting under way for Hezbollah fighters who were killed in Wednesday’s walkie-talkie blasts - Adrian Blomfield

01:03 PM BST

Dispatch: Fear and defiance in Hezbollah stronghold

There is a mixture of fear and defiance in the Shia southern suburbs of Beirut, one of Hezbollah’s chief strongholds, where funerals of those killed yesterday are due to get under way shortly.

Many are waiting for waiting for direction and reassurance from Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, who is due to address his followers this afternoon.

“We are scared,” says Sara, a teacher and supporter of the movement. “We are scared of what’s going to happen tomorrow. We are scared of what’s going to happen in the next few hours. Everyone has questions. Nasrallah’s speech will be a turning point. Either it will be a declaration of war or he will calm things down.”

Sara told me she that one of her friends died in Tuesday’s pager attacks and another seven were injured.

She was first alerted that something was wrong when she saw two men fall off their motorbike, something she believed was an accident at first until, over the next 45 minutes, she saw cars with shattered windows and more people lying injured on the streets.

“We didn’t know what was going on, whether it was a drone attack or something else.”


12:33 PM BST

Gallant briefs US on Hezbollah threats

Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence minister, revealed on Thursday morning that he had briefed the US on the threat his country faces from Hezbollah.

Mr Gallant said he also briefed Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, on Israel’s shifting focus towards the north near the border with Lebanon.

The defence minister revealed on Wednesday that Israel had entered a “new phase” of war as its focus shifted northwards.

Benjamin Netanyahu also vowed to return thousands of displaced Israelis to their homes in the north.


12:17 PM BST

Death toll from walkie-talkie blasts rises to 25

The death toll from Wednesday’s walkie-talkie blasts has risen to 25, the Lebanese health ministry has said.

It takes the total death toll from both Tuesday and Wednesday’s attacks to 37.

Thousands were injured.


12:04 PM BST

Netanyahu to meet with security cabinet at 5pm

Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with his security cabinet ministers at 5pm UK time on Thursday (7pm local time).

It follows the revelation that the Israeli security forces foiled an Iranian-backed plot to assassinate him.


11:56 AM BST

Lebanon’s PM urges UN to act over Israel’s ‘technological war’

Najib Mikati, Lebanon’s prime minister, has urged the United Nations to take action over what he described as Israel’s “technological war”.

Mr Mikati’s calls come ahead of a UN security council meeting on Friday.

Beirut almost immediately attributed the first wave of exploding pager attacks to Israel on Tuesday. A second wave then followed on Wednesday, killing 37 people across two days.


11:25 AM BST

Pictured: injured Israelis evacuated after Hezbollah attack

At least eight people were injured in Israel on Thursday in an anti-tank guided missile attack by Hezbollah near the Lebanon border.

Israel's military evacuate injured people by helicopter after an anti-tank missile was fired into Israel by Hezbollah
Israel’s military evacuate injured people by helicopter after an anti-tank missile was fired into Israel by Hezbollah - REUTERS

11:10 AM BST

Iran warns US: time won’t deter strike on Israel

Iran has warned the US that the passage of time will not prevent the Islamic Republic from carrying out strikes against Israel.

Iran’s armed forces general staff said on Thursday: “We warn criminal America and its puppet regime in the region that passage of time will not deter Iran’s intention to avenge the cowardly assassination of Martyr Ismail Haniyeh.”

Hamas terror chief Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran on July 31.

The Iranian military warned that Israel “must pay for its stupid and vicious mistake.”

The ultimate responsibility for deciding how Iran will respond to the assassination of Haniyeh lies with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader.


10:58 AM BST

Bulgaria to probe company links to Lebanon pagers

Bulgaria will investigate a company linked to the sale of pagers that exploded in a coordinated attack across Lebanon this week, the country’s state security agency said on Thursday.

DANS said that it is working with the interior ministry to probe the role of a company registered in Bulgaria, without naming it.

Bulgarian media reports alleged that a Sofia-based company called Norta Global Ltd had facilitated the sale of the pagers.


10:23 AM BST

Pagers and walkie-talkies banned from airport

Pagers and walkie-talkies have been banned from flights operating in Beirut’s Rafic Hariri Airport, state media reported on Thursday.

Passengers have been told the devices will be confiscated if they are found.


10:06 AM BST

Hezbollah chief to give statement today

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s chief, will give a speech later on Thursday.

The terror group’s chief is expected to speak at around 3pm UK time in the wake of a series of pager explosions targeting the group’s members across Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Hezbollah vowed to “uniquely punish” Israel after the second wave of attacks.

We’ll bring you what Nasrallah says as it comes in.

Lebanon's Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah giving a televised address
Lebanon’s Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah giving a televised address - AFP

09:56 AM BST

Israeli accused over Netanyahu plot made ‘error of judgement’, says lawyer

An Israeli citizen who was arrested over an Iranian plot to kill Benjamin Netanyahu has said his client made an “error of judgement” and is cooperating with Israel’s intelligence agencies.

“We have not yet seen the investigative materials, so at this stage it is difficult to go into the details of the case,” Eyal Besserglick said, according to Hebrew-language media reports.

“It can already be said that this is a person who has greatly assisted the security services of the State of Israel, whose children serve in the security forces, and who made an error in judgement in the context of his business,” Besserglick added.


09:50 AM BST

Watch: eyewitness video shows explosion in Lebanon

A Lebanese member of the public caught the moment a Hezbollah radio device exploded in Lebanon.


09:40 AM BST

In pictures: funeral turns to chaos after walkie-talkies explode

Still reeling from a series of explosive pager attacks on Tuesday, those attending a funeral in Beirut yesterday hoped to show their defiance against Israel, who is suspected of being behind the simultaneous explosions.

But almost exactly 24 hours after the initial attacks, a series of walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah began to explode across Lebanon - including at a funeral for someone who was killed in the first wave of attacks.

Men carry the coffin of Mohammad Mahdi Ammar, son of Ali Ammar, the Hezbollah member of the Lebanese parliament
Men carry the coffin of Mohammad Mahdi Ammar, son of Ali Ammar, the Hezbollah member of the Lebanese parliament - REUTERS
Women mourn over the coffin of killed Lebanese Hezbollah member Hussein Amhaz during his funeral in Baalbek
Women mourn over the coffin of killed Lebanese Hezbollah member Hussein Amhaz during his funeral in Baalbek - AFP
A device inside a car exploded during the funeral on Wednesday
A device inside a car exploded during the funeral on Wednesday - AFP

09:09 AM BST

Iranian officials told to avoid phones

Iranian authorities have been instructed to stay away from their mobile phones, a former senior official of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said.

“Following the assassination of Martyr Haniyeh, various groups within IRGC intelligence and the Ministry of Intelligence have been actively investigating the case,” said Mohsen Rafighdoost.

“For instance, Mr Nasrallah was notified about the situation and in Iran, many officials were told to keep their mobile phones away from themselves, with instructions to hand them over for testing before using them again,” he added.

He said Iran will “definitely” avenge the assassination of Hamas leader “in the coming days.”


08:46 AM BST

Iran ‘devised Netanyahu plot as revenge for Hamas chief’s killing’

The assassination plans were allegedly devised by Iran as revenge for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader, in Tehran in July, Shin Bet believes.

But the Israeli suspect said he would not carry out any work for the Iranian regime unless he was first paid $1 million upfront, Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency claimed.

This request was denied by Iranian intelligence agents.


08:38 AM BST

Who was behind the ‘plot’ to kill Netanyahu?

According to a Shin Ben and police investigation, the Israeli citizen behind an Iran-backed plot kill Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, was a businessman with strong links with Iranian nationals in Turkey.

In April 2024, the suspect agreed to meet with ‘Eddy’, a rich business man who was living in Iran, “to advance business activity”.

He had several meetings before being smuggled into Iran via a land crossing near the eastern Turkish city of Van, Shin Bet said.

Once in Iran, the Israeli man met with a member of Iran’s security forces. In that meeting, Eddy suggested the Israeli man carry out a series of missions in Israel for the Iranian regime.

The Israeli man said he would look into it before returning to Iran in August 2024 hidden in a truck.

He then went to meet Eddy again, where he was asked to assassinate one of Mr Netanyahu, Mr Gallant or Mr Bar.


08:30 AM BST

Netanyahu accuses Starmer of ‘undermining’ Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Sir Keir Starmer of sending “mixed messages” over Britain’s support for Israel and “undermining” the country’s right to self-defence.

Israel’s prime minister criticised the new Labour government for suspending around 30 arms exports to Israel amid concerns they could be used in violations of international humanitarian law in the Gaza conflict.

Sir Keir’s decision has caused diplomatic tensions with Israel and Mr Netanyahu, speaking to the Daily Mail, said: “After the October 7 Hamas massacre, the previous British government was clear in its support.

“Unfortunately, the current Government is sending mixed messages.

“They say that Israel has the right to defend itself, but they undermine our ability to exercise that right both by reversing Britain’s position on the absurd allegations made by the ICC prosecutor against Israel and by blocking weapons sales to Israel as we fight against the genocidal terrorist organisation that carried out the October 7 massacre.”

He also compared Israel’s fight against Hamas to Britain’s “heroic stand against the Nazis”.

Tensions in the Middle East have been heightened in recent days by detonations of electronic devices in Lebanon, including those used by Hezbollah. The militant group has blamed Israel for what appeared to be a remote attack.


08:25 AM BST

Israeli citizen arrested over Iranian-backed plot to kill Netanyahu

Israel has arrested one of its own citizens on suspicion of involvement of an Iran-backed assassination plot target several high-ranking officials, including the prime minister

Israeli security services said they had arrested the businessman, who was smuggled into Iran, where he allegedly attended two meetings to discuss assassinating Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, the defence minister, or the head of the Shin Bet intelligence agency.

The citizen was arrested in August 2024, before a series of exploding pager device attacks which killed more than 30 people and injured thousands across Lebanon and parts of Syria on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Both Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Yoav Gallant (R) were touted as targets in the Iranian assassination plot
Both Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Yoav Gallant (R) were touted as targets in the Iranian assassination plot - REUTERS

07:57 AM BST

Israel hits military targets in southern Lebanon

Israeli jets and artillery hit multiple military targets in southern Lebanon overnight, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Thursday.

The military said air strikes hit Hezbollah targets in Chihine, Tayibe, Blida, Meiss El Jabal, Aitaroun and Kfarkela in southern Lebanon, as well as a Hezbollah weapons storage facility in the area of Khiam.

Israeli media reported that a number of Israeli civilians had been wounded by anti-tank missile fire from Lebanon but there was no official confirmation.

Israeli airstrikes hit Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel
Israeli airstrikes hit Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel - Anadolu

07:23 AM BST

Middle East ‘closest to regional war for 50 years’

The Middle East is the closest it has been to all-out war in 50 years, Saudia Arabia’s ambassador to the UK has told Sky News.

Prince Khalid bin Bandar called for “renewed efforts” to stop fighting in Gaza but said he struggled to remain optimistic about the situation on the ground.

“The situation on the ground is getting worse and worse... I think this is the closest we’ve been to a regional war since 1973,” he said.


07:12 AM BST

Blinken and Lammy to meet after walkie-talkie blasts

David Lammy and Antony Blinken will meet with their European counterparts in Paris on Thursday for further talks about the escalating crisis in the Middle East.

The Foreign Secretary and US secretary of state will meet with their French and Italian counterparts to discuss the Middle East and Ukraine, the state department said, with an inevitable focus on the exploding device attacks.

On Wednesday, Mr Blinken reiterated Washington’s belief that the conflict in the Middle East could be solved diplomatically and said any escalatory acts, like the device attacks, could stop a ceasefire in Gaza.

Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, departs Cairo for Paris ahead of meetings with David Lammy and his European counterparts
Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, departs Cairo for Paris ahead of meetings with David Lammy and his European counterparts - REUTERS

06:49 AM BST

The Daily T: How and why did Israel blow up Hezbollah’s pagers?

In the latest episode of the Daily T, The Telegraph’s Senior Foreign Correspondent Roland Oliphant tells us whether the plot against Iran-backed Hezbollah could trigger an an all-out regional war. Plus, Jotam Confino reports from Israel on how local media are reacting to the audacious plot.


06:19 AM BST

Netanyahu compares fight against Hamas to Britain’s ‘heroic stand against the Nazis’

Benjamin Netanyahu has compared Israel’s fight against Hamas to Britain’s “heroic stand against the Nazis”.

The Israeli prime minister has insisted his country is waging a “just war with just means” and claimed it is taking “unprecedented measures to keep civilians out of harm’s way and comporting fully with international law”.

Sir Keir Starmer has suspended some arms exports to Israel and also dropped the previous government’s plan to challenge the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) application for an arrest warrant against Mr Netanyahu.

Mr Netanyahu told the Daily Mail: “Most recently, the new UK government suspended 30 arms licences to Israel, days after Hamas executed six Israeli hostages, sending a horrible message to Hamas.

“These misguided decisions will not change Israel’s determination to defeat Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organisation that savagely murdered 1,200 people on October 7, including 14 British citizens, and took 255 people, including five British hostages.

“Just as Britain’s heroic stand against the Nazis is seen today as having been vital in defeating barbarism, so too will history judge Israel’s stand against Hamas and Iran’s axis of terror. Israel will win this war and secure our common future.”

Netanyahu said Britain was "misguided" to reduce military aid to Israel
Netanyahu said Britain was “misguided” to reduce military aid to Israel - REUTERS

06:05 AM BST

‘They had gathered to defy Israel. Then it happened again’

They had gathered in their thousands to defy Israel and lay to rest four of their comrades, victims of the pagers that had exploded in their hands or their pockets the previous day. Then it happened again.

As the shadows lengthened in the late afternoon on Wednesday, a single thud echoed through the crowd following one cortège through the streets of Hezbollah’s strongholds in south Beirut.

Suddenly screams drowned out the resistance songs blaring out of the sound system and the crowd scattered – except for a man in a white top and black trousers who crumpled backwards onto the ground, his hands blown off, according to witnesses.

It was just the start.

Read more: They gathered to mourn pager attack victims – then a blast tore through the crowd


05:30 AM BST

Taiwan ‘paying great attention’ to pager link

Taiwan’s national security team is “paying great attention” to the detonation of thousands of pagers targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon, the island’s defence minister said, after a Taiwanese firm was linked to the pagers’ production.

Taiwan-based Gold Apollo said it did not manufacture the devices used in the attack, and that they were made by a Budapest-based company which has a licence to use its brand.

Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Taiwan Defence Minister Wellington Koo said the government was closely watching developments.

“After the news came out, my understanding is that at present the relevant national security bodies are paying great attention to this,” he said, without elaborating. Koo was speaking on Wednesday, in comments embargoed until Thursday.


04:57 AM BST

US defence secretary talks with Israeli counterpart

The US defence secretary and his Israeli counterpart spoke on the phone on Wednesday following the escalation in violence in the Middle East in the past 48 hours.

Lloyd Austin spoke with Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defence minister “to review regional security developments and reiterate US support for Israel in the face of threats from Iran, Hezbollah and other Iranian allies”, the Pentagon said.

Earlier on Wednesday Mr Gallant said that the country was shifting its military focus to the north towards the Lebanese border for a “new phase” of the 11-month war that has raged since the Hamas attacks on October 7 last year.


04:31 AM BST

Allister Heath: Israel’s bravery exposes Starmer’s lie

“Sir Keir Starmer has turned against Israel, banning the sales of some weapons – a policy that Germany appears intent on following – and refusing to oppose lawsuits against the Jewish state, in an unforgivable moral inversion.

“Labour has placed Britain on the side of those nihilists masquerading as human rights lawyers who negate the essential distinction between victims and aggressors, between rule-bound, democracies desperate to minimise civilian casualties, and bloodthirsty dictatorships for whom their people are pawns to be sacrificed.”

Read more: Israel’s bravery has exposed the lie at the heart of Starmer’s foreign policy


04:07 AM BST

Japanese firm investigates walkie-talkies

Japanese firm Icom has said it is investigating after media reported that two-way radio devices bearing its logo exploded in Lebanon.

Icom said it had stopped producing the model of radios reportedly used in the blasts around 10 years ago.

“The IC-V82 is a handheld radio that was produced and exported, including to the Middle East, from 2004 to October 2014. It was discontinued about 10 years ago, and since then, it has not been shipped from our company,” the company said in a statement.

“The production of the batteries needed to operate the main unit has also been discontinued, and a hologram seal to distinguish counterfeit products was not attached, so it is not possible to confirm whether the product shipped from our company.”

It added that products for overseas markets are sold exclusively through its authorised distributors, and that its export programme is based on Japanese security trade control regulations.

“All of our radios are manufactured at our production subsidiary, Wakayama Icom Inc, in Wakayama Prefecture, under a strict management system... so no parts other than those specified by our company are used in a product. In addition, all of our radios are manufactured at the same factory, and we do not manufacture them overseas.”

Icom's office in Osaka
Icom’s office in Osaka - GETTY IMAGES

04:03 AM BST

Middle East headlines

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the escalating crisis in the Middle East. Here’s what you need to know:

  • Israel on Wednesday declared a new phase of war after it was accused of being behind a second wave of remote-controlled explosions in Lebanon

  • Hundreds of walkie-talkie radios and other electronic devices began exploding in Lebanon on Wednesday afternoon (below)

  • It came after a near-identical attack on pagers the previous day

  • Lebanon’s health ministry said 20 people had been confirmed killed and a further 450 wounded

  • Hezbollah fired 20 rockets into Israel following the blasts, Israeli officials said

  • Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah is expected to deliver a televised address in response to the attacks on Thursday

  • The group has vowed to ‘uniquely punish’ Israel

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