Israel, Hezbollah exchange strikes as Nasrallah vows payback post attack

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, widely regarded as the ‘most powerful man’ in Lebanon issued a stern warning to Israel on Thursday, following attacks on the group's communication devices, including pagers, walkie-talkies, and radios. He called the attacks a “severe blow” and accused Israel of crossing a “red line,” vowing that Israelis will not return to their homes until the Gaza conflict concludes.

An image grab taken from Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV shows the Lebanese militant group's chief Hassan Nasrallah addressing the nation from an undisclosed location on September 19, 2024. (AFP)

The 64-year-old delivered his latest address after an unprecedented attack targeting Hezbollah’s communication devices, which the group blamed on Israel. The series of attacks, which killed at least 37 people and injured over 3,000, has intensified concerns that nearly a year of consistent skirmishes between Hezbollah and Israel could spiral into a full-scale war.