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

The UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon urged de-escalation on Friday after a big increase in hostilities at the Lebanese-Israeli border, where Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah have been trading fire for almost a year.

The United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) force had witnessed “a heavy intensification of the hostilities across the Blue Line” and throughout its area of operations, spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said.

“We are concerned at the increased escalation across the Blue Line and urge all actors to immediately de-escalate,” he said.

The Blue Line refers to the frontier between Lebanon and Israel. Late on Thursday, Israeli warplanes carried out their most intense strikes on southern Lebanon of the conflict.

It followed attacks this week which blew up thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah, killing at least 37 people and wounding thousands more.

British foreign secretary David Lammy called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah after a week of escalation.

His comments came late on Thursday as Israel said its fighter jets struck some 100 Hezbollah rocket launchers in Lebanon, as well as other “terrorist sites”.

Israel launched dozens of bombs across southern Lebanon, three Lebanese security sources said. Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said that Israel will keep up its military action against Hezbollah until northern Israel is safe for residents to return home.

“Tonight I’m calling for an immediate ceasefire from both sides,” Mr Lammy told Reuters.

“We are all very, very clear that we want to see a negotiated political settlement so that Israelis can return to their homes in northern Israel and indeed Lebanese to return to their homes.”

He also urged British nationals in Lebanon to leave the country “while commercial options remain”.

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:

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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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”.

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.