The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced today that they are again striking targets of the pro-Iran Lebanese movement Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, with the aim of "damaging the terrorist capabilities and infrastructure" of the Lebanese Shiite movement.
"The terrorist organization Hezbollah has turned southern Lebanon into a combat zone. For decades, Hezbollah has armed civilian homes, dug tunnels underneath them and used civilians as human shields," read an IDF statement sent to newsrooms.
"The IDF is operating to bring security to northern Israel in order to allow residents to return to their homes, as well as to achieve all the objectives of the war," the statement added.
The attacks began shortly after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah began speaking about the latest developments affecting the pro-Iran movement in the conflict with Israel in southern Lebanon.
At the same time, according to CNN International, several Israeli Air Force jets flew over the Lebanese capital Beirut, breaking the sound barrier.
This morning, the Israeli army also announced that it had bombed seven Hezbollah installations in southern Lebanon, a day after unprecedented explosions attributed to Israel targeted electronic devices, including communications equipment belonging to the pro-Iran Lebanese movement.
The explosions killed more than 30 people and injured around 3,200 on Tuesday and Wednesday, raising fears of a full-scale war.
Israel has not commented on the attacks, which occurred shortly after it announced that it was extending its war aims against the Palestinian Hamas, which is supported by Hezbollah, to the northern border with Lebanon.
The aim is to allow the return of Israelis displaced to the north of the country, according to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
In the nighttime strikes reported today, the Israeli army said it targeted six Hezbollah facilities and a weapons depot in southern Lebanon.
On Tuesday, simultaneous explosions of beepers, a paging system used by the Islamist movement, occurred in Hezbollah strongholds in the southern suburbs, east and south of Lebanon.
Twelve people were killed and around 2,800 were injured, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
The following day, a second wave of walkie-talkie explosions killed 20 people and injured more than 450, according to the same source.
Hezbollah today lamented the deaths of 20 of its members in the "walkie-talkie explosions", according to a source close to the movement cited by AFP.
The explosions over the past two days are the "biggest blow ever struck against the pro-Iran formation" by Israel, according to a source close to Hezbollah.
Hezbollah members' beepers and walkie-talkies went off simultaneously while their users were at home, shopping or attending funerals.
