Late Wednesday, explosions from electronic devices, including walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah, killed at least 20 people and injured over 450 across southern Lebanon and Beirut’s suburbs, according to the health ministry.
This follows a similar incident a day prior involving pager explosions that killed 12 and injured nearly 3,000.
One explosion occurred near a Hezbollah funeral for victims of the earlier blast. The group has accused Israel of tampering with the pagers, though the devices were manufactured by a Budapest-based company.
Each pager reportedly contained explosive material with a remote detonator.
In response, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a “new phase” of conflict, focusing the military efforts on the northern front with Lebanon.
He emphasized the need for “courage, determination, and perseverance” but did not address the recent explosions directly.