Authorities say dozens of electronic devices have exploded again in Lebanon, killing 20 people and injuring more than 450. As in the previous day, a number of pro-Iran Hezbollah operatives were among the casualties, according to Lebanese security officials.
Already on Tuesday, hundreds of pagers that people were carrying in their pockets were simultaneously detonated in several places in Lebanon. About 2,800 people were injured and at least 12 were killed. Hezbollah blamed Israel for Tuesday’s attack and vowed revenge. Israel itself has not commented. Israel also initially did not comment on Wednesday’s explosion.
Given the situation, the UN Security Council wants to convene an emergency meeting. The UN’s most powerful body is scheduled to meet on Friday at 9 p.m. CEST, according to diplomatic sources.
Israeli Defense Minister Joav Galant announced a “new phase” of the war, focusing on the northern region.
There are also many explosions during funerals.
A second wave of explosions swept across Lebanon late in the afternoon. The new blasts were reported as funerals for victims were being held in Beirut’s southern suburbs the previous day. The Hezbollah group said a “radio device like a walkie-talkie” had exploded.
Footage posted on social media showed panic spreading as banging was heard during the funeral. Senior Hezbollah official Hashim Safieddine said of the pager that exploded the day before: “This attack will have its own punishment and retaliation, and Hezbollah has already announced its retaliation.” Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is scheduled to address the public on Thursday.
Many homes and cars were damaged.
People at the scene said the explosion was heard in the southern port city of Tyre. A number of ambulances were being used. Local media also reported explosions in southern areas, including Sidon. Lebanon’s civil defense said teams were deployed to the south, east and southern suburbs of Beirut to help extinguish fires that had hit vehicles, shops and other buildings. The area is largely controlled by Hezbollah.
The Lebanese government has previously declared that it is prepared for a possible large-scale Israeli attack. According to Lebanese news agency NNA, the head of the government’s emergency committee, Nasser Yassin, said that “we have laid out possible scenarios in the event of a large-scale Israeli attack.” It serves as an emergency shelter. According to Lebanese government information, food stocks were sufficient for more than three months.
UN Secretary-General: ‘Signs of dramatic escalation’
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sees the explosion as a sign that a major crisis in the Middle East is imminent. “The logic behind detonating all these devices, of course, is to carry out a preemptive strike before a major military operation,” Guterres said in New York.
“There is a serious risk of a dramatic escalation,” Guterres added. “Everything must be done to prevent that.” Guterres commented on Tuesday’s explosion at a news conference. News of a new explosion emerged during the event.
The UN Human Rights Office has already condemned the first Israeli-coordinated attack as “shocking.” Attacking thousands of people simultaneously without knowing who had the device, where they were, and what their circumstances were at the time of the attack is a violation of international human rights law. It may also be a violation of international humanitarian law. Only the courts can ultimately determine whether an act violates international humanitarian law.
Mutual shelling at the border continues
There have been growing concerns that the ongoing shelling between Hezbollah and Israeli forces in recent months could turn into a second major battlefield alongside the Gaza war. Since the war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas began in the Gaza Strip nearly a year ago, there have been almost daily military confrontations between Israel and Hezbollah. Even before the explosion in Lebanon, the situation was much worse.
There was also mutual shelling on Wednesday. Hezbollah said it was acting in solidarity with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said more than 30 bullets were fired from Lebanon into Israel. There were no reports of injuries at first. Hezbollah claimed several attacks on Israeli targets. The Lebanese state-run NNA agency reported that Israel had carried out several attacks in southern Lebanon.
Israeli Defense Minister Joav Galant has already declared a “new phase” in the war. Several media outlets, citing Galant’s office, reported that the military is focused on the northern front, where it is fighting Hezbollah. Israeli media quoted Galant as saying that troops and resources should be redeployed to the north. He recalled Israel’s recently defined war goal: to return refugee civilians to the border areas.
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