Hezbollah has reported that explosions from walkie-talkies used by its members caused casualties in its Beirut stronghold, with similar blasts in south and east Lebanon, leading to the deaths of 14 people and injuries to over 450 others.
The health ministry confirmed that the devices targeted in the attacks were walkie-talkies. These incidents occurred following the simultaneous explosion of hundreds of paging devices used by Hezbollah, resulting in the death of 12 people and injuring up to 2,800 others across Lebanon.
The responsibility for this unprecedented attack is attributed to Israel, although there was no official comment from Israeli authorities. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant indicated a shift in the focus of the conflict during a visit to an air base, stating,
“The centre of gravity is moving northward. We are at the start of a new phase in the war.” He said on Wednesday
Analysts suggested that explosives were likely planted on the paging devices before they were delivered to Hezbollah. The preliminary findings of a Lebanese investigation revealed that the pagers had been booby-trapped. Sources close to Hezbollah noted that the pagers were “recently imported” and appeared to have been “sabotaged at source”.
The attack dealt a significant blow to Hezbollah, which had already been concerned about the security of its communications after losing key commanders to targeted air strikes.
Senior diplomats from the United States, Britain, Germany, France, and Italy are expected to convene in Paris to discuss the escalating tensions in the Middle East ahead of a planned UN Security Council meeting.