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Israeli strike on Hezbollah more devastating than 2024 pager attack, IDF says
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Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist group, saw its command structure across Lebanon come under what Israeli officials described as one of the most devastating blows of the war April 8.
Nearly simultaneously, explosions tore through Beirut, Lebanon, the Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon as roughly 50 Israeli aircraft struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets.
The targets were not rocket launchers or weapons depots, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), but the nerve centers of the organization — command rooms, intelligence headquarters and offices where Hezbollah commanders planned the next stage of the fight.
BROTHER OF MICHIGAN SYNAGOGUE ATTACKER WAS HEZBOLLAH TERRORIST, ISRAEL ALLEGES
The strike marked a new phase in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, which erupted March 2 after Hezbollah entered the conflict in support of Iran, one day after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Since then, Hezbollah has fired rockets, drones and anti-tank missiles into northern Israel, while Israel has responded with widening airstrikes and a ground offensive inside southern Lebanon.
Smoke rises after Israeli strikes in Lebanon after an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel during the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, as seen from Marjayoun, Lebanon, March 5, 2026. (Karamallah Daher/Reuters)
«Within only a minute, the IDF eliminated 250 Hezbollah terrorists in three areas simultaneously,» the Israeli military said in a statement, adding the assessment is still ongoing.
Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an IDF spokesman, told Fox News Digital the strike was the result of weeks of intelligence work.
Israeli intelligence agencies tracked Hezbollah operatives as they moved between apartments, offices and safe houses across Lebanon.
«The timing had to do with the preparations,» Shoshani said. «There was weeks of amazing intelligence.»
Asked whether the operation showed Israel still has deep penetration inside Hezbollah despite months of war, Shoshani pointed to the scale of the attack.
«The fact that we were able to find 250 terrorists hiding in different locations in Lebanon, many of them in locations for recent weeks, eliminating them in real time, I think the capabilities speak for themselves,» he said.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned Wednesday’s strikes.
«The scale of the killing and destruction in Lebanon today is nothing short of horrific,» said United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Türk. «Such carnage, within hours of agreeing to a ceasefire with Iran, defies belief.»
«This response will continue until the Israeli-American aggression against our country and our people ceases,» Hezbollah said in a statement.
IDF UNCOVERS HEZBOLLAH WEAPONS STASH INSIDE HOSPITAL IN LEBANON
An explosion erupts from a building after an Israeli strike in central Beirut, Lebanon, March 18, 2026. (Hussein Malla/AP)
The strike drew a comparison to the «beeper» operation in September 2024, when thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah operatives exploded almost simultaneously across Lebanon and Syria in an operation widely attributed to Israel.
The blasts killed more than 40 people and wounded roughly 4,000, according to Lebanese authorities, while Hezbollah later acknowledged that about 1,500 fighters were taken out of action. The operation shattered Hezbollah’s communications network and became the benchmark in Israel for a strike that fundamentally changed the battlefield.
«The beeper had more … effective injuries. That was the purpose of it,» Shoshani said. «But both targeted hundreds of terrorists and within 60 seconds.»
Like the beeper operation, he said, the April 8 strike was intended not just to kill operatives but to throw Hezbollah into disarray.
«It was important to the aspect of creating disarray, of breaking their chain of command, breaking their command and patrol capabilities and kind of tilting the organization out of balance,» he said.
A former Israeli intelligence official, speaking on background, said the strike may not have reached the level of the beeper operation, but it appeared to hit an unusually broad layer of Hezbollah’s middle ranks.
Hezbollah remains in shock from the blow, according to the former official, even if that has not yet been reflected in a drop in its rocket fire.
But he cautioned against judging the operation only by the number of people killed.
The real measure, he said, is whether the strike changes the course of the war and leaves Hezbollah less able to operate.
The IDF said many of those killed belonged to Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, Hezbollah’s most capable and best-trained combat unit, intelligence apparatus, missile units and aerial Unit 127.
The Israeli military said most of the targets were embedded inside civilian areas.
«Most of the infrastructure that was struck was located within the heart of the civilian population,» the IDF said.
HEZBOLLAH, IRAN UNLEASH COORDINATED CLUSTER BOMB STRIKES ON ISRAEL IN MAJOR ESCALATION
The Israeli military said most of the targets were embedded inside civilian areas. (Fadel Itani/AFP)
Shoshani said Israel warned civilians to evacuate before the strikes, but Hezbollah moved its operatives into new civilian locations.
«When we gave the warnings for areas, civilians moved out, then Hezbollah saw that they moved out and started hiding behind civilians in new locations,» he said.
Despite the blow, Israeli officials say Hezbollah remains a major threat. Shoshani said the group, which before the war possessed between 150,000 and 200,000 rockets and missiles, still has the ability to fire into Israel.
«They still are a real threat for our civilians,» he said.
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Smoke billows after strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel during the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon, March 5, 2026. (Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)
The strike comes as Israel and Lebanon opened their first direct talks in more than three decades at the U.S. State Department in Washington.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has signaled willingness to discuss normalization and the eventual disarmament of Hezbollah, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted there will be no ceasefire until Hezbollah is dismantled and pushed back from the border.
Within hours of the diplomatic opening, Israeli warplanes again struck Lebanon and Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel.
Reuters contributed to this report.
israel, benjamin netanyahu, conflicts, lebanon, terrorism
INTERNACIONAL
Cuba prepara una mayor apertura de mercado bajo la fuerte presión de Trump: “Cambiar para salir de la crisis”
En momentos en que la Asamblea Nacional se dispone a aprobar un paquete de reformas orientadas hacia una mayor apertura de mercado, el presidente cubano Miguel Díaz-Canel dijo este jueves que la economía de la isla, afectada por una profunda crisis económica bajo presión de Washington, necesita “cambios urgentes”.
“Cuando la vida del pueblo se vuelve tan dura, el primer deber del Partido Comunista y del Gobierno revolucionario no es explicar mejor la crisis, sino cambiar lo que haya que cambiar para salir de ella”, dijo el jefe de Estado, también primer secretario del PCC.
Estas reformas, cuyos detalles aún no se conocen completamente, buscan abrir más sectores a la inversión privada, atraer más capital de los cubanos en el exterior, reducir el peso del Estado y otorgar mayor autonomía a las empresas públicas.
“La realidad nos impone cambios urgentes y necesarios”, declaró el jefe de Estado en un discurso transmitido por la televisión estatal y pronunciado el miércoles durante una sesión extraordinaria del Comité Central del Partido Comunista (PCC, único).
En forma paralela, el gobierno convocó a un grupo de expertos conformado por economistas habitualmente críticos del rumbo del país para asesorar sobre el plan.
El paquete de reformas
Durante esta sesión extraordinaria, la máxima instancia del partido aprobó un paquete de reformas hacia una mayor liberalización económica, cuyos lineamientos habían sido presentados por Díaz-Canel la semana pasada.
“Algunas no tendrán un consenso absoluto, pero son impostergables”, insistió este jueves el mandatario. Una mujer vestida con los colores de la bandera de Estados Unidos compra frutas a un vendedor ambulante en una calle de La Habana (Foto: EFE)
Estos anuncios de reformas se producen mientras el presidente estadounidense Donald Trump aplica una política de máxima presión sobre la isla, sometida desde hace casi cinco meses a un bloqueo petrolero.
Leé también: China refuerza su control financiero y limita las inversiones de sus ciudadanos en acciones estadounidenses
El influyente expresidente Raúl Castro, de 94 años, ya ha dado su apoyo a las reformas. La Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular se reúne de urgencia la tarde del jueves para aprobarlas.
“Decisiones inteligentes”
Díaz Canel, quien mencionó los ejemplos de China y Vietnam, abogó por una transformación económica “profunda y ágil, ejecutable en corto plazo”.
El viernes había señalado que el abanico de actividades abiertas al sector privado será “lo más amplio posible”.
Las empresas privadas, de hasta 100 empleados, están autorizadas en la isla comunista desde 2021. Unas 10.000 empresas ocupan un lugar creciente en el tejido económico cubano y emplean actualmente a un tercio de la población activa.
El bloqueo estadounidense ha llevado a la economía cubana, bajo embargo desde 1962, al borde del colapso, provocando cortes de electricidad generalizados, así como escasez de alimentos, combustible, agua potable y medicamentos.
Washington no oculta su deseo de ver un cambio de modelo económico, e incluso de régimen, en la isla situada a unos 150 kilómetros de las costas de Florida.
“Si toman decisiones inteligentes, tendremos una relación mucho mejor con esa isla”, reaccionó el vicepresidente estadounidense JD Vance, interrogado en la Casa Blanca sobre una posible intervención militar en Cuba tras la firma de un acuerdo entre Washington y Teherán.
Un montón de basura arde en La Habana, Cuba, el miércoles 17 de junio de 2026. (AP Foto/Jorge Luis Banos)
El presidente cubano llamó a “crear un entorno institucional y regulatorio” que incentive a empresas y trabajadores a producir bienes y ofrecer servicios de calidad y con eficiencia.
“Hay trabas que no vienen de afuera, ni del bloqueo (estadounidense). Hay lentitud, burocracia, normas que frenan al que quiere producir y decisiones que hemos postergado” por “error”, reconoció.
Quiénes son los expertos que asesoran al gobierno cubano
Uno de los expertos más reconocidos que asesoran al gobierno cubano es el economista Omar Everleny Pérez, exdirector del Centro de Estudios de la Economía Cubana y profesor de la Universidad de La Habana.
En una reciente entrevista con TN, dijo que Cuba necesita una reforma al estilo de Vietnam.
El país asiático mantuvo su modelo de partido comunista único, pero adoptó una economía de mercado con orientación social. Así, hace 30 años realizó privatizaciones agrícolas, apertura a la inversión extranjera y una integración al mundo globalizado.
Everleny Pérez ya impulsó como asesor una apertura económica a mediados de los 90, tras el derrumbe de la Unión Soviética, pero la mayoría de sus propuestas fueron rechazadas por el entonces presidente Fidel Castro. Otros asesores son los economistas Juan Triana y Julio Carranza.
Los tres expertos suelen expresar cuestionamientos al modelo económico cubano en ámbitos académicos y medios independientes.
Por el ámbito oficial, en el grupo participan dos diputados: el exministro de Economía y Planificación José Luis Rodríguez García y el presidente de la Asociación Nacional de Economistas y Contadores (ANEC), José Carlos del Toro Ríos.
(Con información de AFP)
cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel
INTERNACIONAL
Iran hardliner behind US deal warns Tehran won’t honor agreement if Trump fails to deliver
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Iran’s hardline parliament speaker and key negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that Tehran would not honor its commitments under a newly signed memorandum with the U.S. if Washington fails to uphold its side of the deal, according to the media arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
«If the United States does not honor its commitments, there is no way Iran will honor its own commitments,» Ghalibaf said, according to the outlet.
Ghalibaf’s warning was echoed Thursday by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani, who threatened the U.S. in remarks translated by MEMRI TV, saying, «Americans should know their place and avoid confronting the Muslims.»
Qaani added that «Trump is trembling» and warned that the U.S. «should fear not only Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb, but many other locations as well.»
MEET IRAN’S HARDLINE SPEAKER WHO THREATENED TO BURN US FORCES — REPORTEDLY TEHRAN’S POINT MAN FOR TALKS
The warnings came after President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian Wednesday digitally signed a copy of the memorandum aimed at ending the war and resuming the flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s hardline parliament speaker and key negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that Tehran would not honor its commitments under a newly signed memorandum with the U.S. if Washington fails to uphold its side of the deal. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA)
The memorandum gives Iran major economic relief while leaving some of the most difficult nuclear questions for a final agreement to be negotiated throughout the next 60 days. Under the 14-point plan read by a senior U.S. official, Washington agreed to begin lifting its naval blockade, work with regional partners on a $300 billion reconstruction and development plan for Iran, and terminate U.S., U.N. and other sanctions on an agreed schedule as part of a final deal.
The memorandum also says all licenses, waivers and permissions needed for related financial transactions would be granted by the United States.
In return, Iran reaffirmed that it «shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons,» and the two sides agreed to resolve the fate of Iran’s stockpiled enriched material under a future mechanism, with the minimum method being on-site down-blending under International Atomic Energy Agency supervision.
The agreement defers many of the hardest questions — including how to wind down Iran’s nuclear program — until the 60-day negotiation period for a final deal.
But the Iranian figure at the center of the deal is not a diplomat known for moderation.
Ghalibaf, a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander and longtime regime insider, has threatened American forces, vowed Trump would «pay the price» and built his career through loyalty to Iran’s security establishment.
The new warning underscored what experts say is the central risk of the agreement: Washington may be entering a deal with officials who can enforce Iran’s commitments, but who have shown little sign of changing the regime’s long-term posture toward the U.S., Israel or the region.
Ghalibaf, 64, is a product of Iran’s security establishment. He rose through the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the Iran-Iraq War, eventually becoming commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps air force.
He later served as Iran’s national police chief, overseeing internal security forces responsible for suppressing protests, including the 1999 student uprising, alongside Qassem Soleimani.
After transitioning into politics, Ghalibaf attempted to run for president multiple times but failed. He instead built his career through loyalty to the system, serving as Tehran’s mayor for more than a decade before becoming speaker of parliament in 2020.
FAMILIES OF IRAN’S ELITE LIVE LAVISHLY ABROAD WHILE ORDINARY CITIZENS SUFFER AT HOME
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf looks on as parliament members wearing military uniforms chant in support of the IRGC in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 1, 2026. (Hamed Malekpour/Islamic consultative assembly news agency/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters)
«Ghalibaf doesn’t have an independent line. His strength is that he is a ‘yes man,’» Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at the Institute for National Security Studies, previously told Fox News Digital. «If he is told to shake hands with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, he will do it. If he is told to escalate, he will. It is not about moderation, it is about who gives the orders.»
«His name has also been linked to multiple corruption allegations, including misuse of oil revenues and sanctions evasion networks involving his family. His sons have reportedly been involved and are under sanctions,» Sabti said, adding, «There have also been public scandals involving family members traveling abroad and making luxury purchases, including widely circulated images of them arriving with numerous high-end Gucci suitcases.»
Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the image of Ghalibaf at a signing ceremony with a senior U.S. official would be a propaganda victory for the regime.
«There was a time when the Islamic Republic would have been terrified to be seen signing such a thing,» Ben Taleblu told Fox News Digital. «Post-war, this is a sign of the regime’s opportunism, and no one identifies that opportunism better than someone like Ghalibaf, who comes from the IRGC, who is a corrupt politician and is a wheeler and dealer.»
But Taleblu warned that Washington should not confuse Ghalibaf’s opportunism with moderation.
«The mirage is the myth of Iranian military moderation and the myth that, with time, this regime will integrate and put aside all the things that have kept it on the sidelines for so long,» he said. «Transforming Iran via a deal — that is a huge lift.»
Ghalibaf’s wartime statements reflect the hardline posture inside Iran’s leadership. In remarks aired on Iranian television on Jan. 12 and translated by MEMRI, he warned that U.S. forces would face catastrophic consequences if they confronted Iran.
«Come, so you can see what catastrophe befalls American bases, ships and forces,» he said, adding that American troops would be «burned by the fire of Iran’s defenders.»
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS SWEEPING TERMS OF PROPOSED IRAN AGREEMENT
A man lights a cigarette with fire from a burning picture of Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as Israelis rally in support of nationwide protests in Iran in Holon, Israel, on Jan. 14, 2026. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)
More recently, he warned that «the blood of American soldiers is the personal responsibility of Trump,» and vowed Iran would «settle accounts with the Americans and Israelis,» adding that «Trump and Netanyahu crossed our red lines and will pay the price.»
John Hannah, a senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America and a former national security adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney, said Ghalibaf’s expected role reflects the reality of who holds power inside Iran.
«If you’re going to sign an agreement with Iran, those are the forces in charge and calling the shots, presumably with the approval of the new Supreme Leader,» Hannah told Fox News Digital. «If the U.S. harbors hope that Iran will ever implement any of their obligations under the MOU, these are the people — odious as they are — capable of making it happen.»
But Hannah said the central question is whether Iran’s leadership sees compliance as useful, or whether the agreement is simply a tactical pause.
«The big question is whether they see it in their interest to do so, or are they only buying time, rebuilding their power and preparing for the next round of conflict,» he said.
Ben Taleblu was even more blunt, warning that even a seemingly favorable agreement would not change the nature of the regime.
«Even if you’ve got the perfect deal, with this kind of regime, with this kind of mentality, they will escalate,» he said. «I thought we would have learned by now what the regime did after the JCPOA. It built a vast missile arsenal. It literally built an empire of terror proxies that took Israel years of blood, effort and money to dismantle, backed by American support.»
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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf speaks during a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Nov. 27, 2024. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)
«If we engage in pay-to-play with these guys,» he added, «I’m sorry to sound the alarm bell like this — but something tells me this is bad either way.»
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
war with iran, iran, sanctions, benjamin netanyahu, treaties
INTERNACIONAL
Un líder criminal fue asesinado al llegar a Ecuador y el ataque en el aeropuerto de Guayaquil abre preguntas sobre los controles de seguridad
Dos adolescentes fueron los perpetradores. Esperaban a la víctima, un cabecilla criminal, con flores y peluches.
El asesinato de un hombre identificado por el Gobierno ecuatoriano como cabecilla de una organización criminal provocó conmoción en Guayaquil y abrió una serie de interrogantes sobre los controles de seguridad en uno de los principales puntos de ingreso al país. La tarde del 17 de junio, un ataque armado registrado en los exteriores del aeropuerto internacional José Joaquín de Olmedo dejó un fallecido y una persona herida, en un hecho que ocurrió frente a pasajeros, familiares y trabajadores que se encontraban en la terminal aérea.
Minutos después del atentado, el ministro del Interior, John Reimberg, confirmó que la víctima mortal era Carlos Alberto Suástegui Villanueva, de 39 años, a quien las autoridades identifican como cabecilla del grupo criminal Los Águilas, una estructura que opera principalmente en el cantón El Triunfo, en la provincia del Guayas. El funcionario aseguró además que se trataba de un objetivo criminal priorizado dentro de las investigaciones que mantiene el Estado contra organizaciones vinculadas a delitos violentos.
De acuerdo con la información preliminar proporcionada por la Policía Nacional, Suástegui acababa de arribar a Guayaquil cuando fue interceptado por varios sujetos armados en el área exterior de llegadas internacionales. Los atacantes abrieron fuego en repetidas ocasiones y huyeron del lugar. El hombre murió como consecuencia de las heridas, mientras que una mujer que lo acompañaba resultó lesionada y recibió atención médica.
La balacera generó momentos de pánico entre las personas que se encontraban en el aeropuerto. Videos grabados por testigos mostraron a pasajeros buscando refugio y a personal de seguridad acordonando la zona mientras llegaban agentes policiales y equipos de emergencia. Aunque el acceso al área donde ocurrió el crimen fue restringido durante varias horas para permitir el levantamiento de indicios, la concesionaria de la terminal informó que las operaciones aéreas continuaron con normalidad.
Poco después del ataque, las autoridades anunciaron la aprehensión de dos adolescentes, de 15 y 16 años, en el sector del parqueadero del aeropuerto. Según el Ministerio del Interior, ambos son investigados por su presunta participación en el atentado. La Policía indicó que las primeras diligencias permitieron ubicar a los sospechosos cuando intentaban abandonar el lugar.
La identificación de la víctima dio paso a un intenso debate público. Diversos usuarios en redes sociales, analistas de seguridad y actores políticos cuestionaron cómo una persona señalada por el propio Gobierno como líder de una organización criminal pudo transitar por el sistema migratorio y llegar hasta la zona pública de la terminal sin que se produjera una intervención de las autoridades.
La seguridad del aeropuerto logró detenerlos dentro del parqueadero del terminal
Hasta el momento, el Ministerio del Interior y la Policía Nacional no han informado si Suástegui mantenía una orden de captura vigente al momento de su ingreso al país o si existía alguna alerta migratoria activa en su contra. Tampoco se ha precisado si era objeto de seguimiento por parte de organismos de inteligencia. La ausencia de esa información alimentó preguntas sobre la coordinación entre las instituciones encargadas del control fronterizo y los organismos de seguridad.
Otro de los aspectos que ha concentrado la atención es la aparente precisión con la que actuaron los atacantes. El hecho de que el crimen se produjera poco después de la llegada de la víctima llevó a que surgieran especulaciones sobre un posible seguimiento previo o sobre el conocimiento anticipado de su itinerario. Sin embargo, las autoridades no han presentado evidencias que respalden esas hipótesis y señalaron que la investigación continúa en curso.
Las dudas también alcanzan a los mecanismos de seguridad en el aeropuerto. Aunque el ataque ocurrió en una zona de acceso público y no dentro de las áreas restringidas de embarque o desembarque, el caso volvió a poner bajo escrutinio los protocolos de protección en infraestructuras consideradas estratégicas. Desde el inicio del conflicto armado interno declarado por el Gobierno en 2024, los aeropuertos del país han operado bajo medidas reforzadas de vigilancia debido a la expansión de la violencia vinculada al crimen organizado.
Crime,Law Enforcement,Crime,South America / Central America
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