Thousands of handheld radio receivers (walkie-talkies), distinct from pagers, used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon exploded in homes and cars across multiple locations on Wednesday, marking a second wave of Israel’s tech-based attacks.
At least nine people have been killed in Bekaa and Rashaya in the latest wave of explosions, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency, citing the Health Ministry. More than 300 others have been wounded in the attacks.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced early Wednesday evening that the second wave of explosions in Lebanon had ended and that no new patients had arrived at hospitals.
Israeli Army Radio reported a statement from Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tonight:
“The focus has shifted north, and we are entering a new phase in the war.”
The second round of explosions began around 5:00 PM, causing fires in numerous apartments and vehicles in Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahieh and across over 20 towns in South Lebanon. In Dahieh, one explosion occurred in Ghobeiry during the funeral of individuals martyred in yesterday’s pager blasts, with a large crowd in attendance. Explosions were also reported in Nabatieh and Sarafand, according to Megaphone News.
Axios reports that today’s attack involved thousands of devices and caused more material damage than the previous day’s incident, due to widespread fires.
The Lebanese Civil Defense reported that its teams are working in the southern suburbs of Beirut to extinguish fires in two homes in Ghobeiry, two in Haret Hreik, and several others on Baajour Street, in Burj al-Barajneh, Rweis, Hay al-Sellom, and Khalde.
Additionally, the Civil Defense has been addressing fires that erupted in 60 homes and shops, 15 cars, and dozens of motorcycles across various areas of the Nabatieh governorate, as reported by L’Orient Today.
Sources told Axios that these personal radios, pre-rigged with explosives by Israeli intelligence and delivered to Hezbollah, were meant for the group’s emergency communication system in the event of a conflict with Israel.
On Tuesday, explosions in pagers used by Hezbollah killed 12 people and injured nearly 3,000, with around 200 in critical condition.
Caretaker Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib indicated that the Hezbollah pager attack could signal a potential escalation of the conflict, according to Agency France Press reports.