At least 20 people have been killed and over 450 injured in Lebanon due to a second wave of explosions from wireless communication devices, according to the country’s health ministry.
The blasts, triggered by walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah, occurred in the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon, all known strongholds of the group.
Some explosions happened during funerals for the 12 people killed on Tuesday when pagers belonging to Hezbollah members detonated.
Hezbollah has blamed Israel for those attacks, though Israel has not responded to the allegations.
The violence escalates as Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announced a “new phase in the war” and confirmed the redeployment of an army division to the northern border.
UN Secretary General António Guterres warned of the “serious risk of a dramatic escalation” and urged all parties to “exercise maximum restraint.” He stated, “Obviously the logic of making all these devices explode is to do it as a pre-emptive strike before a major military operation.”
After nearly a year of cross-border hostilities, initially triggered by the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, fears of a broader conflict are growing. Following the explosions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to return displaced residents to their homes in the north “securely.”
Defence Minister Gallant emphasized that Israel is shifting its focus to the north by reallocating resources and forces. The Israeli military confirmed that a division previously deployed in Gaza has now been repositioned.
Hezbollah claims its actions support Hamas and has vowed to continue its cross-border attacks until the conflict in Gaza ceases. Its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, is expected to deliver a speech on Thursday that may shed light on the group’s next moves.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah’s media office reported the deaths of 13 of its fighters, including a 16-year-old boy, following the second wave of blasts. It also confirmed firing rockets at Israeli positions near the border and in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The Israeli military reported that around 30 projectiles crossed from Lebanon, causing a fire but no injuries. In response, Israeli aircraft targeted Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.
The explosions represent a significant blow to Hezbollah and suggest that its communication network may have been compromised.
Thousands of pagers exploded simultaneously on Tuesday, after receiving a message seemingly from Hezbollah, causing 12 fatalities, including two children, and injuring 2,800, according to the Lebanese health minister.
On Wednesday there were chaos and confusion in Dahiya suburb of Beirut following a loud explosion at 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT). Subsequent reports indicated similar blasts in other regions.
The Lebanese Red Cross dispatched more than 30 ambulances to affected areas in the capital’s southern suburbs, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley.
The health ministry stated that the explosions “targeted walkie-talkies.” A source close to Hezbollah confirmed to AFP that devices used by its members detonated.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported a fatal explosion involving an ICOM-V82 handheld VHF radio in a shop in Chaat, Bekaa Valley. Another explosion of the same model occurred at a house near Baalbek, causing fire damage.
A Lebanese security source told Reuters that Hezbollah purchased the walkie-talkies five months ago, around the same time as the pagers.
Axios reported that Israeli intelligence had allegedly booby-trapped thousands of these devices as part of Hezbollah’s emergency communications system.
Attempts to get a comment from ICOM’s UK branch were redirected to the company’s headquarters in Japan. Meanwhile, US and Lebanese sources told the New York Times and Reuters that Israel planted explosives inside the pagers that detonated on Tuesday.
Dr. Elias Warrak, an ophthalmologist in Beirut, described the aftermath as “probably the worst day of my life as a physician.” He said at least 60% of the patients he treated had lost one eye and most also lost a hand. “Unfortunately, we were not able to save a lot of eyes, and unfortunately the damage is not limited to the eyes – some of them have damage in the brain in addition to any facial damage,” he added.
