Israel strikes Lebanon as Hezbollah vows revenge for device blasts

The Middle East was on edge Friday after Israel unleashed an intense wave of strikes on Lebanon and Hezbollah’s leader vowed revenge for attacks targeting its communication devices that killed dozens of people and left thousands injured across the country.

The prospect of an all-out war between the U.S. ally and the Iran-backed militant and political group appeared closer than ever as the Israeli military said late Thursday its air force hit about 100 Hezbollah launchers and other infrastructure sites it said were set to be fired at Israeli territory.

Israel hit the country’s south at least 52 times, Lebanon’s state-run news agency said — one of the heaviest barrages on the area since the two sides began exchanging regular fire in the wake of the Hamas-led Oct. 7 terror attacks and Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip.

It followed a stunning operation earlier this week in which thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah operatives exploded nearly simultaneously across Lebanon, killing at least 37 people, including two children, and injuring close to 3,000. The attacks sowed fear and chaos across the nation, overwhelming hospitals and making people fearful of using any electronic devices.

“There is no doubt that we have been exposed to a major and severe security and humanitarian blow,” Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said of the device attacks in a much-anticipated televised address to the nation Thursday.

He accused Israel of an act of war against Lebanon, but stopped short of specifying how or when his group would retaliate. “The enemy has crossed all red lines and all laws in this attack,” Nasrallah said, as Israeli warplanes flew above the Lebanese capital, Beirut, creating a deafening sonic boom.