Hezbollah pager explosions – latest: Device attacks in Lebanon kill 32 as Israel declares ‘new phase’ of war
Fresh wave of blasts kill 20 when walkie-talkies detonated in second attack on Lebanon
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Lebanon is reeling after 32 people have now been killed in two days of device explosions across Beirut and other cities.
Israel declared a “new phase” of war after 20 people were killed and more than 450 injured when hand-held walkie-talkie devices detonated in a second attack on Lebanon.
At least one of the blasts on Wednesday reportedly took place near a funeral organised by Iran-backed Hezbollah for those killed the previous day when thousands of pagers used by the group exploded across the country.
While Israel have not confirmed they are behind the second attack, their defence minister told troops they are at the “start of a new phase in the war” and would be shifting focus to their northern border.
Meanwhile, US officials said that Israel decided to blow up the pager devices carried by militia group Hezbollah earlier than planned over fears the operation would be discovered.
Two children were among the 12 people killed, while nearly 3,000 people were wounded, after the handheld devices simultaneously detonated across Lebanon and Syria in the first attack on Tuesday afternoon.
“It was a use it or lose it moment,” one US official told Axios about the reasoning Israel gave to Washington for the timing.
The Iran-backed militant group has vowed to retaliate against Israel, whose military declined to comment on the blasts.
At least 20 dead as walkie-talkies explode in Lebanon as Israel declares ‘new phase of war’ against Hezbollah
A war with Hezbollah may be looming. Is Israel prepared?
From booby-trapped walkie-talkies to exploding pagers – could our phones and cars be next?
Everything we know about the Hezbollah device explosions – and the questions that remain
Hezbollah pager attack mapped: Where did the explosions take place?
All-out war with Israel could devastate Lebanon
A full-blown war with Israel could devastate Lebanon, which has lurched from one crisis to another, including a 2019 financial collapse and the 2020 Beirut port blast.
Rising tensions may also complicate so far unsuccessful efforts by mediators Egypt, Qatar and the U.S. to negotiate a Gaza ceasefire between Israel and militant group Hamas, a Hezbollah ally also backed by Iran.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Wednesday it was too soon to assess the impact of the blasts on ceasefire talks. Hezbollah, Iran’s most powerful proxy in the Middle East, said in a statement it would continue to support Hamas in Gaza and Israel should await a response to the pager “massacre.”
A Hamas delegation visited people wounded in the blasts in Lebanese hospitals on Wednesday, Lebanese state news agency NNA said.
UN secretary general says he is ‘deeply armed’ by incident
The UN secretary general António Guterres has issued a statement after two days of explosions in Lebanon has seen several killed and thousands injured.
He wrote on social media site X: “I’m deeply alarmed by reports that a large number of communication devices exploded across Lebanon & Syria, killing at least 11 people, including children, and injuring thousands.
“All actors must exercise maximum restraint to avert any further escalation.”
Taiwanese company Gold Apollo denies making pagers used in Lebanon attack
Taiwanese electronics maker Gold Apollo has denied producing the pagers used in Tuesday’s deadly attack in Lebanon, which killed at least nine people and injured nearly 3,000.
Gold Apollo founder and president Hsu Ching-Kuang said the devices were manufactured by BAC Consulting, a company based in Budapest, Hungary, licensed to use the Taiwanese brand.
“The product was not ours. It was only that it had our brand on it,” Mr Hsu said.
Read the full article here:
The Taiwanese company at the center of Hezbollah pager attack in Lebanon
Gold Apollo claims beepers were actually made by Hungary-based BAC Consulting
Joe Biden to discuss war in Gaze during meeting with UAE president
Joe Biden will welcome United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to the White House on Monday for talks on issues ranging from the war in Gaza, Sudan and responsible artificial intelligence development.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said the visit would be the first-ever by a president of the Gulf Arab country to Washington, adding that Vice President Kamala Harris would meet separately with the UAE leader.
Discussions would also focus on climate, clean energy and UAE’s role as a partner in the Group of Seven’s global infrastructure partnership, Kirby told reporters.
US not involved “in any way” in Lebanon detonations, says White House
The US remains involved in intensive diplomatic efforts to prevent an escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby has said.
“We want to see the war end, and everything we’ve been doing since the beginning has been designed to prevent the conflict from escalating,” he told reporters.
He added that the US was not involved “in any way” in the wave of explosions on either Tuesday or Wednesday.
What has boobytrapping Hezbollah’s pagers actually achieved?
As a global propaganda coup for the Israeli security services, the pager attacks on Hezbollah members in Lebanon could scarcely be surpassed.
What kind of a mind, one wonders, dreams up such a macabre lark as this, an “exploding cigar” practical joke on a grand scale?
The sheer audacity of it was very much in the Israeli tradition, and it made some points rather forcefully. It proved that the Israelis could intercept Hezbollah supply lines, and with such ease that they could find the time to fit a few grams of military-grade explosives to each device, disguised as an electronic component.
Read the full article here:
What has boobytrapping Hezbollah’s pagers actually achieved?
The audacious attack was a PR coup for Israel and humiliation for the terrorists – but it does nothing to create a lasting framework of peaceful co-existence, says Sean O’Grady
Frontline workers treat patients with missing eyes and fingers
Frontline workers described hellish scenes: victims of thousands of small explosions linked to pagers used by Hezbollah rushed into hospitals, some with organs protruding, others with missing eyes or fingers.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called for an independent investigation into the events surrounding exploding pagers.
The United Nations Security Council will meet on Friday over the pager blasts after a request from Algeria on behalf of Arab states, said Slovenia’s UN Ambassador Samuel Zbogar, president of the 15-member council for September.
Walkie-talkies reportedly have Japanese company label
Images of the exploded walkie-talkies examined by Reuters showed an inside panel labelled “ICOM” and “made in Japan.”
According to its website, ICOM is a Japan-based radio communications and telephone company.
The company has said that production of several models of the ICOM hand-held radio have been discontinued, including the IC-V82, which appeared to closely match those in images from Lebanon on Wednesday and which was phased out in 2014.
There was no immediate reply from ICOM to a request for comment on Wednesday.
Watch: Moment of explosion in Beirut one day after pagers detonate
Watch: Moment of explosion in Beirut one day after pagers detonate
The moment explosions rang out in Beirut on Wednesday, 18 September, during a funeral procession for a person who was killed when pagers detonated the previous day, was captured on video. Lebanon’s health ministry says at least nine people were killed and 300 were wounded. It comes a day after at least 12 people – including two children – were killed and thousands wounded after electronic pagers belonging to Hezbollah simultaneously exploded in Lebanon and Syria. Reports emerged that hand-held walkie-talkie devices detonated one day after the pager blasts.
Full statement from Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant
During a visit to the Ramat David base on Wednesday, Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant told Israeli troops that the IDF were allocating more resources to the northern border with Lebanon.
He said: “The ‘center of gravity’ is moving north, meaning that we are allocating forces, resources and energy for the northern arena. We have not forgotten the hostages and we have not forgotten our missions in the south – we are committed to our duties, and we are carrying them out simultaneously.
“Operations are carried out by all the security organizations and our task is clear – ensuring the safe return of Israel’s northern residents to their homes.”
“If we look at the current picture - the IDF has made excellent achievements, together with the ISA and the Mossad – the results of their work are impressive. We know how important it is at this time to carry out our activities in close cooperation.
“We are fully coordinated and united in our determination to achieve our goals: the Prime Minister, the IDF Chief of the General Staff, ISA Director, Mossad Director and Minister of Defense. Everything they represent, everything is dedicated to a single goal – the return of the residents [of the north to their homes].”
“I believe that we are at the start of a new phase in the war and we must adapt. This is true for everyone, certainly for those who are in the air or controlling what happens in the air – because the position here is stronger – it’s not Hamas. This is something else and we need to prepare for this accordingly and take it into account.”
“We must remain consistent over time – this war requires great courage, determination and perseverance. Thank you for everything you do. We are going to complete our missions on all fronts. You have the duty, but also the privilege to take a part in this effort.”
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