Hezbollah’s hand-held radios were detonated on Wednesday in the southern region of Lebanon, escalating tensions with Israel following the group’s pager explosions the previous day.
The health ministry of Lebanon reported that the suburbs of Beirut and the Bekaa Valley saw 20 fatalities and over 450 injuries on Wednesday. As a result of Tuesday’s explosions, the death toll has increased to 12, including two children, with nearly 3,000 injured.
Security sources claimed that the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad was behind the explosions, although Israeli officials have remained silent on the matter. The incident, according to one Hezbollah official, was the major security breach that resulted in a country’s deadliest day that the group had ever experienced.
The operations, which took place in tandem with Israel’s eleven-month-long war in Gaza, appeared to destabilize Hezbollah, raising concerns about a possible escalation on the Lebanese border and the possibility of a regional war.
“We are opening a new phase in the war.” During his remarks at an air force base, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant emphasized the need for courage, determination, and perseverance.
Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s Foreign Minister, accused Israel of orchestrating a perilous escalation on numerous fronts and escalating the Middle East to the brink of a regional war.
The U.S. said it was engaging in intensive diplomacy in an effort to prevent the conflict from escalating after denying any role in the explosions.
The exploded walkie-talkies contained labels bearing the name of Japanese radio communications and telephone company ICOM (6208.T). These labels were similar to the firm’s IC-V82 device.
On Thursday, ICOM announced that it was conducting an investigation into news reports regarding the explosion of two-way radio devices with its logo in Lebanon. The company will provide updated information as soon as it becomes available on its website.
Due in part to the model’s termination a decade ago, the company, which claims to produce all of its radios in Japan, was unable to confirm whether it had dispatched the device.
The company saids that authorized distributors exclusively distribute its product offerings for international markets.
The company has previously issued a warning regarding the presence of counterfeit versions of its devices in the market, particularly those that have ended production.
Hezbollah acquired the hand-held radios approximately five months ago, simultaneously with the acquisition of pagers, according to a security source.
The United Nations Security Council will discuss the pager blasts on Friday in response to a request from Arab states.
The New York Times said on Wednesday that Tehran’s ambassador in Lebanon sustained severe injuries and lost one eye after a pager he was carrying exploded, according to two members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
The explosions took place in the wake of a series of assassinations of Hezbollah and Hamas commanders and leaders that have been attributed to Israel since the onset of the Gaza war.
