Beirut strike: Top Hezbollah commander killed in Israeli strike

After the pager and walkie-talkie explosions across Lebanon earlier this week, there has been a deepened sense of unease in the Middle Eastern country.

It was an unprecedented security breach that indicated how deeply Israel had managed to penetrate the group’s communication system.

Many of the explosions occurred simultaneously, with walkie-talkie explosions on Wednesday occurring in the vicinity of a large crowd that had gathered for the funerals of four victims of Tuesday’s pager blasts.

Hezbollah and Lebanese authorities have blamed Israel for the explosions.

Israeli officials have not commented on the allegations, but most analysts agree that it is behind the attack.

In a televised address on Thursday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said: “The enemy crossed all rules, laws and red lines. It didn’t care about anything at all, not morally, not humanely, not legally.”

Nasrallah vowed a harsh punishment, but indicated his group was not interested in an escalation of its current conflict with Israel.

US and UK authorities have urged their citizens not to travel to Lebanon. The White House said it was involved in intense diplomacy to prevent escalation of the conflict along the Israel-Lebanon border.

Reiterating previous calls, the UK Foreign Office said it is “continuing to advise people to leave Lebanon now while commercial routes remain available”.

The BBC understands that during a Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBR) meeting officials discussed ongoing preparedness work, particularly with regards to British nationals, should there be any further escalation.