Hand-held radios used by Hezbollah detonated late Wednesday afternoon in southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to reports. One of the explosions reportedly occurred near a funeral organized by Hezbollah for individuals who lost their lives the day before when numerous pagers belonging to the group detonated throughout the country.
Hezbollah announced that it had targeted Israeli artillery positions with rockets, marking its first offensive against Israel since the pager explosions injured thousands of its members and raised concerns about a broader conflict in the Middle East.
According to reports quoting a senior Lebanese security official, Israel’s Mossad had planted explosives inside the pagers imported by Hezbollah months prior to the detonations.
The death toll has increased to 12, including two children, as stated by Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad. The attack on Tuesday resulted in nearly 3,000 injuries, affecting many members of the militant group as well as Iran’s envoy in Beirut.
Handheld radios explode after pagers
A Taiwanese manufacturer of pagers denied responsibility for the devices involved in the incident, asserting that the devices were produced under license by a company named BAC based in Budapest, Hungary.
There has been no confirmation regarding the timing of Hezbollah’s latest rocket attack; however, the group typically announces such strikes shortly after they occur, implying that it likely targeted the Israeli artillery positions on Wednesday.
Hezbollah has pledged to retaliate against Israel, whose military has not commented on the explosions. The two sides have been involved in cross-border hostilities since the onset of the Gaza conflict last October, heightening concerns of a larger regional conflict potentially involving the United States and Iran.
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Jordan accuses Israel of escalations
During the funeral of 10-year-old Fatima Abdallah, who was killed in the recent explosions, relatives mourned in the village of Saraain in the Bekaa valley. Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi accused Israel of pushing the region towards the brink of war through dangerous escalations on multiple fronts.
Hezbollah, Iran’s primary ally in the region, stated that it would continue to support Hamas in Gaza and warned Israel to expect a reaction to what they termed the pager “massacre” that left many wounded or dead. A Hezbollah official reportedly characterized the detonation as the group’s most significant security breach to date.
Footage from local hospitals showed individuals with various injuries, some severe, indicating the nature of the injuries sustained from the pager blasts. Reports indicated that the plot seemed to have been in development for several months, coinciding with a series of assassinations of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders attributed to Israel since the Gaza war began.
Also Read: Lebanon Pager Explosions: What All We Know So Far
