Hezbollah vows revenge for Israel pager bombs
Hassan Nasrallah said Israel will be punished for explosive attacks; meanwhile, Israel carries out more strikes


What happened
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said yesterday that Israel's detonation of thousands of sabotaged pagers and walkie-talkies this week "crossed all boundaries and red lines" and the country would "face a severe and fair punishment." As Nasrallah's speech was broadcast from an undisclosed location, Israeli fighter jets flew low over Beirut. Last night, Israeli jets carried out more than 70 airstrikes in Lebanon, purportedly targeting about 100 Hezbollah rocket launchers.
Who said what
The exploding handheld devices, which killed at least 37 people and wounded thousands, were a "huge and severe blow" to Hezbollah, Nasrallah said. But the attack, which could be considered "war crimes or a declaration of war," won't stop the militant group's rockets into northern Israel. He reiterated the attacks would stop when Israel ceased attacking Gaza.
The pager bombs "humiliated" Hezbollah, "piercing its reputation as one of Israel's most sophisticated foes," The New York Times said. But a forceful retaliation could "ignite a wider escalation" as many of the group's fighters lost hands and eyesight in the explosions. In this "new phase of the war," military action will ensure Israelis can return to their homes near the Lebanon border, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said. "As time goes by, Hezbollah will pay an increasing price."
What next?
The escalating attacks were a "blow to President Joe Biden's beleaguered efforts" to get a Gaza ceasefire, The Washington Post said. As the U.S. and its European allies urged Israel and Hezbollah to cool their fight, "Washington's grip on the crisis appears more tenuous than ever."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
5 hilariously sparse cartoons about further DOGE cuts
Cartoons Artists take on free audits, report cards, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Following the Tea Horse Road in China
The Week Recommends This network of roads and trails served as vital trading routes
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: March 30, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Activist arrest: A threat to free speech?
Feature A former Columbia University grad student with a green card was detained and sent to a detention facility
By The Week US Published
-
The Arab League's plan for Gaza
The Explainer Arab leaders reject Donald Trump's proposals to move Palestinians out of Gaza to create 'Middle East Riviera'
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
'This new reality contradicts one of the chief aims of America's patent system'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Donald Trump's foreign policy: a gift to China?
Talking Point Trump's projection of raw, unfocused power is fuelling the sense that his America is to be feared, even by its allies
By The Week UK Published
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?
Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Trump: US 'will take over' Gaza, without Palestinians
Speed Read President Trump has suggested the US take ownership of Gaza, permanently displacing more than two million Palestinian residents
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
What's the future for foreign aid?
Today's Big Question President Trump's US aid freeze could change the humanitarian landscape for good
By Jamie Timson, The Week UK Published
-
Trump proposal to 'clean out' Gaza gets cool reception
Speed Read U.S. allies Jordan and Egypt rejected President Donald Trump's suggestion that Palestinians leave Gaza
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published