JERUSALEM, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed on Thursday that military operations in Lebanon will continue, following Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's assertion that recent attacks on pagers and walkie-talkies amounted to "a declaration of war."

"Our sequence of military and security operations will continue," Gallant stated in a video message from the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv.

He emphasized that in this new phase of the conflict, "there are significant opportunities but also substantial risks," adding that "Hezbollah feels under pressure and persecuted."

Gallant's comments followed Nasrallah's televised speech, in which he described Israel's actions as a "major aggression" against his people and a "declaration of war."

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a security consultation meeting with officials on Thursday night to discuss the escalating situation and Israel's next steps.

The recent explosions of thousands of pagers and handheld radios across Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday resulted in at least 37 fatalities and 2,931 injuries. Israeli officials have not commented on the blasts, which Hezbollah has attributed to Israel. Enditem

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