In a televised address, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called the detonation of pagers and walkie-talkies across Lebanon a “terrorist act” and said that “Israel’s enemy has crossed all red lines” with the intention of killing 4,000 people at one point. He acknowledged that Hezbollah had been dealt a heavy blow but underlined that it “will not break” the resistance and that operations in southern Lebanon will not stop until the war in Gaza ends.
Yesterday, Nasrallah said at the beginning that the events of the past two days had led him to make the speech. He explained that he had planned to present his analysis and report on the fighting of the past year on October 7th, but that what happened in the past 48 hours “required this message.”
He expressed his condolences to those who fell on the front in southern Lebanon and those who died as a result of the explosions, and wished the injured a speedy recovery. He thanked the doctors, officials and everyone who helped treat the victims of the attack and the people who donated blood for the injured, and welcomed the solidarity and unity of the people of the country.
He underlined that the explosions happened in hospitals because the pagers were also used by medical workers, and in pharmacies, markets, shops, houses, cars and on the streets where there were many civilians.
Nasrallah stated that Israel aimed to kill “4,000 people at one time”.
“That was the intention of the enemy, and this is the scale of their crime. What should we call this type of criminal activity? Is it a major operation? Is it genocide? Is it a massacre?” he said.
He acknowledged that Hezbollah had been dealt a “very heavy” blow, describing the attacks as “unprecedented” in Lebanon. He said that investigative commissions have been formed to study how the explosions happened, and that they will wait for the results of the investigation.
“We suffered a very heavy blow. But this is a state of war,” he said.
He said his group is aware that Israel has a technological advantage because it is backed by the United States (U.S.) and other technological superpowers, but it will bravely face this challenging moment with its head held high.
“We cannot be broken by this blow, no matter how strong it is. And I can faithfully and confidently assure you that this heavy and unprecedented blow did not bring us to our knees – and it will not,” he underlined.
“I say clearly: no matter what the consequences are, no matter the victims, no matter the scenarios, the resistance in Lebanon will not stop supporting the resistance in Gaza and the West Bank and all the injured in the occupied territories,” said Nasrallah.
He stated that the attacks across Lebanon were aimed at Hezbollah’s infrastructure and that it was an attempt to cause divisions within it.
“Let the enemy know what happened has not shaken our faith, belief, decisiveness, readiness or infrastructure. On the contrary, it made us more determined, robust and persistent. If the goal of the Israelis was to separate us from what is happening in Gaza, it failed,” he pointed out.
