THIS is the shocking moment a huge blast was heard in Beirut live on Sky News as a reporter said he could hear screams.
Foreign correspondent John Sparks was reporting on Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah’s speech live when the large blast was heard.
Foreign correspondent John Sparks was on air when the blast shook Beirut
He was heard saying: ‘I can hear screams’Sky News
AFpThousands of pagers used by Hezbollah fighters detonated on Tuesday[/caption]
X/RulaelhalabiWalkie-talkies were used as explosives on Wednesday[/caption]
AFpSmoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike in Khiam, southern Lebanon[/caption]
As the broadcast was aired, deafening sonic booms from Israeli fighter jets shook Beirut.
Sparks said there was a “very loud sound” as jets flew low over Beirut – with Reuters reporting them as sonic booms as the aircraft moved faster than the speed of sound.
The noise was so loud it sent birds flying in panic and people in their houses and offices rushed to open the windows to avoid the glass shattering.
Israeli military said it was striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Thursday, shortly before the movement’s leader was due to give a speech.
It comes as at least 37 people were killed and hundreds were left injured after Israel allegedly carried out a series of pager attacks across Lebanon and Syria, targeting Hezbollah fighters.
Israel has not directly commented on the attacks, which security sources say were probably carried out by its Mossad spy agency.
During his live speech, Nasrallah said the mass bombing attack was a severe blow and Israel had crossed a red line.
He said the group is investigating how the bombings were carried out but vowed they would emerge stronger and continue daily strikes into northern Israel.
“There is no doubt that we have been subjected to a major security and military blow that is unprecedented in the history of the resistance and unprecedented in the history of Lebanon,” Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in his TV address.
“The attacks crossed all red lines … the enemy went beyond all controls, laws and morals.
He added that attacks on Lebanon amount to a “declaration of war”.
Iran’s ambassador to Beirut lost an eye in the hit and has been flown back to the country for treatment.
Tehran has hit back at the country and accused Israel of “mass murder”, describing Tuesday’s surprise pager attack as “terrorism”.
The Islamic Republic has threatened Israel saying it “reserves its rights under international law to take required measures deemed necessary to respond.”
The attacks on Hezbollah communications equipment sowed fear across Lebanon, with people abandoning electronic devices for fear of carrying bombs in their pockets.
Mossad spooks intercepted a shipment ordered by Hezbollah months before the attack and detonated it by sending a coded message, a Lebanese security source and a second source told Reuters.
The device blasts will further stoke tensions in the Middle East in what officials fear could be a “pre-emptive strike” ahead of a wider escalation.
Israel has also revealed today to have foiled an Iranian plot to assassinate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Defence Minister.
Defence minister Yoav Gallant declared the start of a “new phase” of war on Wednesday and praised the work of Israeli security agents as “very impressive” after IDF troops began moving north.
Terror group Hezbollah has sent its own chilling threat, telling Israel to expect “fair punishment”.
Analysts now fear Israel could be setting the groundwork for an invasion of Lebanon as it seeks to defeat Hezbollah.
The attack came as Israeli leaders warned that they could launch a stepped-up military operation against Hezbollah.
Warplanes fired on settlements in southern Lebanon overnight and heavy artillery also fired across the northern border.
The strikes came as Hezbollah continued to fire rockets into northern Israel with five injured as the terror group retaliated against the surprise blitz.
Where did the pagers come from?
By James Halpin, Foreign News Reporter
Iranian proxy Hezbollah ordered the pagers months ago but never thought the quaint piece of tech could be tampered with.
Hezbollah shifted to pagers after the group’s leader told members to stop using phones in February over fears they could be tracked by Israeli spies.
A senior Lebanese security source said the group had ordered 5,000 beepers made by Taiwan-based Gold Apollo, which were brought into the country in the spring.
But Gold Apollo told media in Taipei today the specific order was manufactured by BAC Consulting KFT in Budapest.
Gold Apollo boss Hsu Ching-kuang said BAC asked to manufacture their own pagers with the company’s trademark and they were paid from a mystery Middle Eastern bank account, NPR reports.
BAC Consulting chief executive Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono confirmed to media that her company worked with Gold Apollo.
But said, “I don’t make the pagers. I am just the intermediate.”
At some point during the manufacture, the devices were modified by Israel’s spy service with a small amount of explosive.
The AR-924 pager is described as being “rugged” and contains a rechargeable lithium battery with 85 days of battery life.
Their longevity would be important in Lebanon which has suffered major power outages.
Pagers also run on a different wireless network than mobile phones, making them more resilient in emergencies and harder for Israel to hack digitally.
The affected pagers were only delivered to Hezbollah recently, but other associates of the group were also injured, including the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon.
