Hezbollah leader says exploding device attacks crossed 'all red lines'

Hezbollah’s leader has said bomb attacks using thousands of the Lebanese armed group's pagers and radios "crossed all red lines", and accused Israel of what he said represented a declaration of war.

In a much-anticipated speech, Hassan Nasrallah acknowledged Hezbollah had suffered an “unprecedented blow”, but he vowed it would continue fighting and inflict a “just punishment”.

Israel has not said it was behind the blasts on Tuesday and Wednesday, which Lebanese authorities said killed 37 people and wounded 3,000.

As Nasrallah spoke, Israeli warplanes caused sonic booms over Beirut, scaring an already-exhausted population, and others struck targets in southern Lebanon.