- Hand-held radios used by Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon, killing at least 14 people and injuring 450, escalating tensions with Israel
- The blasts followed previous pager detonations that killed 12 and injured nearly 3,000, prompting Hezbollah’s vow of retaliation against Israel
Hand-held radios used by Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group, exploded on Wednesday across southern Lebanon, Beirut suburbs, and the Bekaa Valley. This comes a day after similar detonations of the group’s pagers, further escalating tensions with Israel.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported that 14 people were killed and 450 injured on Wednesday. The death toll from Tuesday’s explosions rose to 12, including two children, with nearly 3,000 injured.
One of Wednesday’s blasts occurred near a funeral organised by Hezbollah for those killed the day before. Tuesday’s explosions saw thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah detonate, wounding many of the group’s fighters.
The Lebanese Red Cross responded with 30 ambulance teams to various explosions across the country. Hezbollah, briefly thrown into chaos by the pager blasts, launched rockets at Israeli artillery positions in response. This marked the first strike on Israel since the explosions, raising fears of a broader conflict.
Israel’s military reported warning sirens in the north, though there were no immediate casualties or damage. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant indicated that the war’s “centre of gravity” was shifting north, near the Lebanon-Israel border, with additional troops being deployed to the area.
Images of the exploded radios showed components labelled “ICOM,” a Japanese radio communications company. The radios were reportedly purchased by Hezbollah five months ago, along with the pagers. Israel’s spy agency, Mossad, is suspected of planting explosives inside the pagers months before the attacks, though Israel has declined to comment.
The United Nations Security Council is set to meet on Friday to discuss the situation, following a request from Arab states. Hezbollah has vowed retaliation against Israel, continuing a cross-border conflict that has intensified since the Gaza conflict began in October. Concerns are growing that the escalation could lead to a wider Middle East war involving the U.S. and Iran.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi accused Israel of dangerously escalating tensions in the region, pushing the Middle East closer to a broader war. Hezbollah had reportedly turned to using pagers and low-tech devices to avoid Israeli surveillance of mobile phones.