BEIRUT/JERUSALEM:
Israeli warplanes launched their most intense airstrikes yet in southern Lebanon late Thursday, marking a dramatic escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

The strikes occurred amidst global calls for restraint. The White House stressed the need for a diplomatic solution, while the UK urged an immediate ceasefire. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre expressed concerns over further violence.

Earlier, attacks reportedly carried out by Israel targeted Hezbollah’s communication systems, resulting in 37 deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries in Lebanon. On Thursday evening, Israel’s military confirmed that jets struck hundreds of Hezbollah rocket launchers in southern Lebanon, preventing imminent attacks on Israeli targets. According to Lebanon’s state news agency (NNA), more than 52 airstrikes were conducted in a two-hour span, beginning at 9 pm local time.

Lebanese officials described these attacks as the most severe since the conflict flared up in October, though no immediate casualties were reported.

Israel vowed to continue its operations against Hezbollah. Throughout Thursday, it claimed to have hit around 100 rocket launchers and other strategic targets. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah condemned the earlier strikes on their communications, accusing Israel of violating international law and committing potential war crimes.

While Israel did not directly comment on these explosions, which destroyed radios and pagers, Lebanese security sources suspect Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, may have been behind the sophisticated attacks.

Lebanon’s UN mission submitted a formal complaint to the UN Security Council, accusing Israel of planting explosives via electronic devices. The Security Council is set to discuss the issue on Friday, following Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s call for firm action against Israel’s “technological warfare.”

As Nasrallah delivered a televised address, Israeli jets flew over Beirut, causing loud sonic booms—now a common occurrence but a sign of growing tensions.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared that Israel would continue its strikes, acknowledging both the risks and strategic opportunities of the conflict. He warned that Hezbollah would face greater consequences as the conflict escalates, with Israel’s ultimate goal being the safe return of residents in northern Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a high-level meeting with key ministers to assess the situation. On the same day, two Israeli soldiers were reported killed in northern Israel.

The current conflict between Israel and Hezbollah was triggered by Hezbollah firing missiles into Israel following Hamas’s cross-border attack on October 7, which led to the Gaza war. Since then, both sides have been exchanging fire, though neither has pushed for full-scale war. Nevertheless, tens of thousands of people have been displaced on both sides of the border.

Nasrallah said Hezbollah would welcome an Israeli ground invasion of southern Lebanon, calling it a “historic opportunity.” He emphasized that no level of escalation or conflict would allow Israeli civilians to return to the border areas. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Salami supported Nasrallah’s stance, warning that Israel would face a “crushing response” from the so-called “axis of resistance,” a coalition of Iran-aligned militant groups that includes Hezbollah, Hamas, Yemen’s Houthis, and factions in Iraq and Syria.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking from Paris, urged restraint from all parties, warning that further escalation could hinder ceasefire efforts in Gaza. The strikes on Hezbollah’s communication systems have led to widespread panic in Lebanon, with many abandoning their devices out of fear they may carry hidden explosives.

Nasrallah claimed that thousands of pagers were targeted in simultaneous blasts, with explosions occurring in hospitals, pharmacies, markets, and other public spaces filled with civilians.

Israel asserts that its conflict with Hezbollah, like its war with Hamas in Gaza, is part of a broader regional struggle against Iran, which backs both groups and other armed movements in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq. Israel has also been accused of orchestrating high-profile assassinations, including the killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran and a top Hezbollah commander in Beirut in July.