Nasrallah Acknowledges Severe Military and Security Damage to Hezbollah: Unprecedented in History

Following an unprecedented "security and military blow" to Hezbollah in Lebanon due to deadly explosions of communication devices used by its members supported by the Islamic Republic, Israel's Defense Minister announced the beginning of a "new phase of war." Simultaneously, the United States and France emphasized the necessity of avoiding tensions in the Middle East. Yoav Gallant, Israel's Defense Minister, stated on Thursday, September 20, that the "new phase of war" entails "significant opportunities as well as heavy risks." According to him, Hezbollah feels it is being pursued, and Israeli military operations will continue. Gallant stressed the need for Israeli residents to return to their homes in the north of the country, adding, "Over time, Hezbollah will pay an increasing price." Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, stated that no action other than stopping the war in Gaza could lead to the return of tens of thousands of displaced Israelis to their homes in the north of the country. Meanwhile, Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, who is in Paris, announced that the United States and France are calling for restraint in the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon. He added that Washington does not want to witness provocative actions from any party that, according to him, would make reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza increasingly difficult. The U.S. Secretary of State still considers a ceasefire in Gaza to be "possible and necessary." In the meantime, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, on Thursday regarding the deadly explosions of the group's wireless and pager devices supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, stated: "Without a doubt, we have suffered an unprecedented security and military blow that... is unprecedented in Lebanon's history." Nasrallah acknowledged that "we have taken a big and severe blow" and added that "we know that our enemy has superiority in technology [over us] and we have never said otherwise." As a result of the explosions of hundreds of pagers and wireless devices belonging to members of Hezbollah in Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, at least 37 people were killed and more than 3,000 were injured. Hezbollah has blamed Israel for these attacks, to which Israel has not responded. Hezbollah was established in 1982 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Several countries, including the United States, Israel, Germany, Serbia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Australia, have recognized the group as a terrorist organization. The designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization implies no distinction between its political and military branches, labeling both as terrorist entities. Turkey accused Israel of attempting to "systematically escalate conflict" in the region. Consequences of the explosions in Lebanon; Turkey is investigating the security of communication devices used by the army. A new wave of extensive Israeli airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. Lebanon has banned the transport of wireless devices and pagers through Beirut International Airport.