Hezbollah vows revenge for Israel pager bombs

Men in Lebanon watch Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on TV

(Image credit: Fadel Itani / NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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."

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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.