Hezbollah fires new salvo at Israel: After the bomb attack on electronic devices, fears of a larger war grow

BEIRUT – Hezbollah fired a new salvo into northern Israel on Thursday, continuing its barrage of clashes with the Israeli military as fears of a wider war grow after hundreds of electronic devices exploded in Lebanon, killing at least 32 people and wounding more than 3,000 others.

The bombs appear to be the culmination of a months-long Israeli operation to target as many Hezbollah members as possible at once. Pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded over the course of two days, injuring or even maiming some fighters, but also maiming civilians from the group's social branches and killing at least two children.

It is unclear how the attack fits with warnings from Israeli leaders in recent weeks that they may launch an intensified military operation against Hezbollah, Lebanon's most powerful armed force. The Israeli government has said its war aim is to end the Iran-backed group's cross-border shelling in order to allow tens of thousands of Israelis to return to their homes near the border.

In a speech to Israeli troops on Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said: “We are at the beginning of a new phase of the war – it requires courage, determination and perseverance.” He did not mention the exploding bombs, but praised the work of the Israeli army and security authorities, saying: “The results are very impressive.”

Gallant said that after months of fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip, “the focus is shifting with resources and forces being diverted north.”

Hezbollah said early Thursday that it had attacked military positions in northern Israel, but did not specify what weapons it had used. Israeli hospitals reported treating at least eight patients injured in the attacks. The military said early Thursday that it had attacked several militant positions in southern Lebanon overnight.

Hezbollah signaled that it would continue its almost daily shelling with the attack, calling it a sign of support for Hamas in the 11-month Israeli campaign in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the October 7 attack by Palestinian militants on Israel.

Israel has responded to Hezbollah's fire with attacks in southern Lebanon, targeting high-ranking figures of the group in the capital Beirut. The attacks killed hundreds in Lebanon and dozens in Israel. Tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border had to be evacuated.

Israel and Hezbollah have repeatedly withdrawn from full-scale war under strong pressure from the United States, France and other countries.

But in their recent warnings, Israeli politicians have declared that they are determined to drastically change the status quo.

Israel began moving more troops to the Lebanese border on Wednesday as a precautionary measure, Israeli government officials said. Israeli army chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said plans had been drawn up for further action against Hezbollah. However, media reports said the government had not yet decided whether to launch a major offensive in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Lebanon was still reeling from the unprecedented mass bombings of Tuesday and Wednesday.

The explosions have left Lebanese people feeling uneasy and fearing a full-scale war. The Lebanese army said it had located and detonated suspicious pagers and communication devices. The country's civil aviation authority has banned pagers and walkie-talkies on all planes departing from Beirut's international airport until further notice.

The attack is expected to significantly disrupt Hezbollah's internal communications, as Hezbollah seeks secure lines of communication. Hezbollah announced the deaths of five fighters today, but did not say whether they were killed in the explosions or on the front lines.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was scheduled to speak later Thursday as the group vowed retaliation against Israel.

The explosions went off wherever the pager or walkie-talkie carriers happened to be in many parts of Beirut and eastern and southern Lebanon: in homes and cars, grocery stores and cafes, and on the streets, even at the funerals of some of those killed in the bombings, often in the presence of family members and other passersby.

Many suffered gaping wounds to their legs, stomachs and faces, or had their hands mutilated. The pager explosions on Tuesday killed 12 people, including two children, and injured about 2,800 others. The explosion the following day killed 20 people and injured more than 450.

Health Minister Firas Abiad praised Lebanese hospitals and said they were able to cope with the flood of injured within hours. “It was an indiscriminate attack. It was a war crime,” he said.

Mary Ellen O'Connell, a professor of law and international peace studies at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, said booby traps are prohibited under international law. “It is strictly prohibited to use an object used by civilians as a weapon,” she said.