Lebanon has been rocked again by explosions on Wednesday, following the serial pager blasts. Many people have been injured and have been admitted to the hospital for treatment. The explosions occurred in wireless communication devices. According to security sources, these handheld radios, or 'walkie-talkies', exploded when held by Hezbollah commanders, resulting in 9 deaths and several injuries.
Hezbollah acquired these devices around five months ago, similar to how they obtained pagers. Top Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine said the organization is facing tough times but vowed retaliation.
According to Reuters, these wireless radios were being used by Hezbollah fighters. The communication sets exploded in the southern part of the country and the southern suburbs of the capital, Beirut. One explosion also occurred at the location where funerals were being held for those killed in the pager blasts.
On Tuesday, multiple cities in Lebanon and Syria experienced pager blasts simultaneously. Hundreds of pagers exploded within an hour, killing 12 people and injuring more than 4,000. Following the pager attack, Hezbollah accused Israel's intelligence agency Mossad of orchestrating the conspiracy and threatened retaliation.
The primary target of the pager blasts was Beirut, including Daheya, Bekaa, Nabatieh, Bint Jbeil, southern Beirut, and southern Lebanon. Over 100 blasts in Syria also caused panic in various areas. Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar's son was one of the casualties, and Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani sustained severe eye injuries.
Hezbollah's Threat Prompts Israel to Be on High Alert
In response to Hezbollah's threats, Israel is on high alert. Israel has deployed 20,000 soldiers along the Lebanon border. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog met for a security briefing on Wednesday morning. Additionally, IDF Chief of Staff General Herzi Halevi held meetings with senior military commanders to review offensive and defensive preparations, urging citizens to remain vigilant. However, the Israeli military declined to comment on the pager explosions in Lebanon.
Following months of operations in the Gaza Strip, Israel has decided to deploy the IDF's 98th Division to northern Israel amid escalating tensions with Hezbollah. The paratrooper and commando division will now be part of the northern command's 36th Division. The 98th Division, consisting of approximately 20,000 soldiers, was recently recalled from Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.
