20 Dead as Walkie-Talkies Explode in Lebanon’s Second Attack

A day after pagers used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon exploded, killing over 9 people, walkie-talkies and solar equipment used by the anti-Israel Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group exploded on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of at least 20 people, while more than 420 were injured.

The second wave of the attack, which Hezbollah has blamed on Israel, occurred during the burials of some victims from the pager explosions, sparking concerns that electronic equipment in the country is not safe.

Hezbollah, backed by Iran, had turned to alternative forms of communication due to fears that Israel was tracking their mobile phones to hunt down and kill its members. However, the coordinated attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday suggest that their communication network may have been infiltrated by the Israeli government.

Initial findings from Tuesday’s attack indicate that Israel hid explosives inside a new batch of pagers that Hezbollah had ordered from Taiwanese manufacturer Gold Apollo. The armed pagers, equipped with an embedded switch, were detonated remotely.

Tuesday’s explosions occurred 24 hours after the Israeli cabinet finalized plans to return its residents, displaced by Hezbollah’s attacks in northern Israel, to their homes.

Also Read: What You Should Know About the Deadly Pager Blasts That Killed 9 in Lebanon

Although Israel has not explicitly claimed responsibility for the attacks, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant hinted on Wednesday that the country’s military strategy is shifting northward.

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“The center of gravity is shifting northward, meaning we are increasingly diverting forces, resources, and energy towards the north,” Gallant said, adding that the goal was to return displaced northern residents to their homes.

In a video statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “I have said it before, we will return the citizens of the north to their homes in security, and that’s exactly what we are going to do.”

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attacks, with the UN Security Council scheduled to convene on Friday to deliberate on the operations, which are now being described as a massive intelligence breach by Israel, reportedly initiated five months ago.