Israel carries out “targeted strike” in Beirut despite US warning about escalation after pager explosion

Beirut, Lebanon – Israel’s military said it carried out a “targeted strike” in Beirut on Friday, as a video on social media showed smoke rising from an apparent attack site in the Lebanese capital.

“Currently, there are no changes in the Home Front Command’s defense directives,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

The White House previously warned both Israel and Israelis Iran-backed Hezbollah group against “increase of any kind” following this week’s sync blast pager and walkie talkie targeting Hezbollah members, but overnight, Israeli warplanes carried out several strikes across Lebanon, and Hezbollah continued to fire back.

There were massive explosions and fires sparked by what the Israel Defense Forces said were hundreds of rocket-propelled grenades fired by Hezbollah in Lebanon early Friday.

It appeared to be one of several Israeli attacks targeting Hezbollah bases in southern Lebanon since the two sides began exchanging fire 11 months ago, with Hezbollah claiming its rocket attacks in northern Israel are in support of its allies Hamas and the Palestinian people.

Hezbollah also launched an offensive in northern Israel, killing at least two soldiers, according to Israeli officials.

The escalation of violence followed a televised address from a tired-looking Hassan Nasrallah – Hezbollah’s leader – who admitted that this week’s pager and walkie-talkie blasts had dealt a “severe blow” to the powerful, long-designated group Hamas. terrorist group of Israel and the US

Nasrallah accused Israel of not only breaking “all red lines” with the explosion, but also “declaring war.”

Israel did not publicly mention the complex attack, but CBS News has learned that US officials were tipped off by Israel about 20 minutes before the operation began in Lebanon on Tuesday, although no specific details were shared. methods to be used.

For two terrifying days in Lebanon, thousands of low-tech telecommunications devices – many used by Hezbollah members – exploded simultaneously across the country, injuring more than 3,000 people and killing at least 37, including children, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.

In his speech, Nasrallah vowed that Israel will not achieve its goal of allowing tens of thousands of people displaced from their homes in northern cities. As he spoke on Thursday, however, sonic booms could be heard above Beirut as Israeli warplanes thundered over the city, changing Israel’s military might.

But as the U.S. warning on Thursday showed, the next steps — be it further retaliation by Hezbollah or IDF ground operations against the group — could have far-reaching consequences.

“Finally, if [Israel] “This will lead to a kind of slow, debilitating Israeli war, and most importantly, it will legitimize Hezbollah.”

But hundreds of Hezbollah fighters were likely injured in the bombardment, which left the group’s communications network completely shattered. And despite warnings from Israel’s defense chief about a “new phase” in the country’s war with Iran’s so-called proxy groups, and one division of the IDF already being transferred from Gaza, there has been no major build-up of Israeli forces or hardware . the Lebanese border is currently visible.

Therefore, the prospect of an endless war between Hezbollah and Israel – which could put US forces in the Middle East in direct danger – may not be as imminent as some fear.

contributed to this report.