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

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 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”.

Spain's foreign ministry condemned this week's attacks targeting mobile communications devices used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon, saying they constituted a violation of international humanitarian law and threatened the region's stability.

"We call for restraint on the part of all actors," the ministry said in a statement. "It's necessary to avoid a further escalation of violence and the risk of open war with unforeseeable consequences."

Spain's condemnation came hours after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid.

The EU foreign policy chief condemned attacks which targeted mobile communication devices used by Hezbollah this week, saying whoever was behind them aimed "to spread terror in Lebanon", a statement from the EU's Beirut delegation said on Thursday.

"The indiscriminate method used is unacceptable due to the inevitable and heavy collateral damages among civilians, and the broader consequences for the entire population, including fear and terror, and the collapse of hospitals," Josep Borrell said.

At least 37 people were killed and more than 3,000 wounded when first pagers, then walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members exploded in two waves of attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Lebanon and Hezbollah say Israel carried out the attack. Israel has not claimed responsibility.

Hezbollah, a heavily armed group backed by Iran, and Israel have been trading fire across the Lebanese-Israeli border for almost a year in a conflict triggered by the Gaza war.

Israel's military said it was striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Thursday, shortly before Hezbollah's leader was due to give a speech, and that the chief of staff has approved plans for the northern arena.

"The Hezbollah terrorist organization has turned southern Lebanon into a combat zone. For decades, Hezbollah has weaponized civilian homes, dug tunnels beneath them, and used civilians as human shields," the military said.

"The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is operating to bring security to northern Israel in order to enable the return of residents to their homes, as well as to achieve all of the war goals," the military said.

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.

Chris Stevenson reports:

The sophisticated attacks on Hezbollah's communications equipment sowed disarray in Lebanon, with panicked residents abandoning their mobile phones.

"This isn’t a small matter, it’s war. Who can even secure their phone now? When I heard about what happened yesterday, I left my phone on my motorcycle and walked away," said Mustafa Sibal on a street near central Beirut.

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.

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An Israeli man has been arrested on suspicion of involement in a plot to assassinate prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other senior officials after being recruited by Iran, Israel’s internal security service has said.

The suspect – who was arrested in August – is a 73-year-old businessman with links to Turkey who had been smuggled into Iran for two meetings to discuss assassinating either Mr Netanyahu, defence minister Yoav Gallant or the head of the Shin Bet intelligence agency, it was alleged in a joint statement from the Israeli police and Shin Bet.

The allegations date back to April, when when the Israeli man – named as Moti Maman – agreed to meet a wealthy businessman living in Iran for business purposes.

My colleague Andy Gregory reports:

Lebanese authorities are continuing to detonate any communication devices that appear to be suspicious amid fears of further explosions in the country.

In a post on X, the army said: “Specialised army units are detonating suspicious pagers and communication devices in different areas, so citizens are urged to stay away from explosion sites, report any suspicious device or object and not approach it.”