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The explosion of hundreds of pagers belonging to Hezbollah members in Lebanon, which left nine people dead and nearly 2,800 injured, marks an "extremely worrying escalation," warned the U.N. special coordinator for Lebanon.
"Today's developments mark an extremely worrying escalation in an already ... volatile context," Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said in a statement. She urged "all parties concerned to refrain from any further action ... that could trigger a wider conflagration."
Hezbollah accused Israel, which made no comment, of being responsible for the explosions.
Lufthansa and Air France suspend flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran and Beirut until Thursday.
In a statement relayed by our correspondent in the Bekaa, the Baalbeck Government Hospital denied reports "circulating on WhatsApp groups" that the facility lacked sufficient doctors to operate effectively.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi "condemned any action that threatens Lebanon's security," and informed Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati of King Abdullah II's directives to "provide all necessary medical assistance to the Lebanese medical sector to treat the thousands of citizens injured" in the explosions.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty contacted caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati to express Egypt's solidarity and convey Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's directives to support Lebanon.
Druze leader Walid Joumblatt reached out to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Wafic Safa, head of Hezbollah's coordination unit, to express his "total solidarity with the Resistance and with the people of the South, the Bekaa Valley and Beirut's southern suburbs."
He also extended his condolences to Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar, who lost his son Mahdi in the recent pager explosions. According to the official National News Agency (NNA), Joumblatt emphasized "the importance of national solidarity in the face of unprecedented Israeli aggression against Lebanon."
Beirut Port's Karantina Public Hospital has announced in a press release that it has canceled the opening ceremony of its new maternity unit scheduled for tomorrow, citing "unforeseen circumstances."
Iraq announced today that it will send medical teams and emergency doctors to assist Lebanon, which has been hit by simultaneous explosions of pagers carried by Hezbollah members. Baghdad expressed concern over a possible "expansion of the war" in the region.
Israel has not commented on the blasts, which killed nine people and wounded nearly 2,800, according to Lebanese officials. Hezbollah, however, has accused Israel of being responsible.
The Iraqi government issued a statement condemning what it called a "Zionist cyber-attack," according to spokesman Bassem al-Awadi.
Hezbollah announced the death of two of its fighters, Youssef Madi Aloui, born in 1986 and originally from the village of Hofeir al-Tahta in the Bekaa, and Hassan Ahmad Mahmoud, born in 1992 and originally from Habsheet in Akkar (North Lebanon).
It is not yet clear whether these two fighters were killed in the explosion of the Hezbollah pagers.
According to our count, 444 Hezbollah members have been killed in Lebanon and Syria since Oct. 8, 2023.
A Lebanese security source told al-Jazeera that the pagers that exploded were booby-trapped.
Sources also told Sky News Arabia that Mossad had placed a quantity of PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate) liquid explosive on the battery of Hezbollah's communication devices and detonated it by raising the battery's temperature.
The United States has urged Iran to avoid any action that would aggravate tensions after the pager explosions in Lebanon.
We would urge Iran not to take advantage of any incident to try to add further instability and to further increase tensions in the region," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.
According to two U.S. officials contacted by Axios, Israel did not inform the Biden administration of its operation.
Hamas condemned the coordinated pagers' explosions in Lebanon, referring to it as "Zionist terrorist aggression" in response to Israel.
"We ... strongly condemn the Zionist terrorist aggression that targeted Lebanese citizens by detonating communication devices across various regions of Lebanon," the group said in a statement, adding that the attack did not differentiate "between resistance fighters and civilians."
Mohammad Barakat, a journalist known for his strong opposition to Hezbollah, described the Israeli operation that caused the explosion of several thousand Hezbollah pagers as a "crime against humanity" and likened it to a "Lebanese 9/11."
In a message posted on X, Barakat shared a clip from one of his appearances on VDL 24, where he stressed that the attack targeted not only Hezbollah members but also civilians, in an indiscriminate manner.
🔴 Thousands across Lebanon injured have been in Hezbollah pager explosions with 9 reported killed.
Press here to read more and find out what we know about the incident so far.👈
The United States was "not involved" and "not aware" in advance of the pager explosions in Lebanon, assured the State Department cited by AFP.
"I can tell you that the United States was not involved in this, was not aware of this incident in advance, and at this point, we are gathering information," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.
A source close to Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah denied reports that his son had been killed in the explosion of his pager.
Earlier in the evening, a source close to the party cited by AFP had indicated that Fadlallah's son was among the victims killed in the attack.
🔴 Three military experts and analysts share their insight regarding today's attack that Hezbollah has attributed to Israel, in which pagers across the country exploded, killing at least 9 and wounding thousands.
The Lebanese Parliament's Speaker and leader of the Amal movement, Nabih Berri, has accused Israel of committing "a war crime" and called on "the entire world to stop the Israeli terror machine."
"What Israel has done is not just a massacre but a clear war crime. The whole world is called upon to act to stop the Israeli terror machine," he declared.
"It is no longer acceptable for the international community to be satisfied with mere condemnation and denunciation."
Hassan Wazni, director of Nabih Berri Hospital in Nabatieh, told L'Orient Today:
"We received 47 seriously injured patients, four of whom are in critical condition but expected to survive. About thirty others remain hospitalized in stable condition. It was a horrifying situation, as all the injured arrived simultaneously. Most had wounds to the face and hands, with some having injuries to the abdomen. We had to conduct scans, X-rays, and other examinations before proceeding with emergency operations."
Caretaker Education Minister Abbas Halabi announced that "schools, public and private technical institutes, as well as the Lebanese University and private higher education institutions, will be closed tomorrow, Wednesday." He also ordered "the suspension of administrative and preparatory work at these institutions as a sign of protest against the criminal act committed by the Israeli army."
"These developments are extremely worrying, especially given the highly volatile context in which they are occurring," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a press briefing, referring to the explosion of Hezbollah members' pagers.
"We cannot overstate the risks of escalation in Lebanon and the wider region," he added, noting that representatives of the U.N. Secretary-General are actively working to de-escalate the situation.
⚡ According to a source close to Hezbollah cited by AFP, the son of Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah is reportedly amongst those killed in the pager explosions.
According to a report by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH), cited by AFP, 14 people were injured in pager explosions in Syria.
According to a statement from the Health Ministry, the death toll from the Hezbollah pager explosions reached nine, with more than 2,800 injured.
Numerous figures, including caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, visited the home of Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar this evening to express their condolences following the death of his son in the pager explosions.
In a statement, the Lebanese Foreign Affairs Ministry denounced "this serious and deliberate Israeli escalation, which has been accompanied by threats of expanding war with Lebanon," referring to the wave of pager explosions across Lebanon.
The ministry added that "after consultation with the cabinet's presidency, it has decided to launch a complaint procedure [Lebanon against Israel] at the Security Council [of the U.N.], as soon as all the data are known."
A senior Hezbollah official told Reuters that Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was not hurt in the wave of pager explosions.
In a new statement, Hezbollah blamed Israel for the pager explosions that took place across Lebanon and said that Israel will receive "just punishment."
"We hold the Israeli enemy fully responsible for this criminal aggression, which also targeted civilians and led to the death of several martyrs and the wounding of a large number of people," the statement read.
"This criminal enemy will surely receive its just retribution for this aggression," the statement added, concluding that the party will keep "supporting the Palestinian resistance"
The final press release from the Lebanese government's cabinet "strongly denounced the criminal Israeli aggression, which represents a major violation of Lebanese security and sovereignty."
The cabinet assured that it had "immediately initiated contacts with concerned countries and the U.N. to hold them accountable for this boundless criminality." The government also decided to keep its meetings in continuous session.
A map showing the regions reportedly most affected by the pager explosions across Lebanon (Credit: L'Orient Today)
⚡In an interview with the New York Times, senior Hamas official Khaled Meshal said that the Palestinian Islamist movement has "the upper hand" and has "remained steadfast" in its war against Israel in Gaza, according to Haaretz.
The Times reports that according to Khaled Meshal, Hamas is "in no hurry to conclude a cease-fire agreement if it does not include an end to the war and withdrawal from Israel." He also noted a "change in America's language towards Hamas, which seems to him to be a realization that they will not be eliminated."
⚡ In southern Lebanon, three people were seriously injured in an Israeli air strike that targeted a house in the village of Majdal Selm (Marjayoun), a medical source told our correspondent in the south.
Israeli defense officials believe that Hezbollah is preparing to launch a military operation against Israel. Senior officers have been summoned to a special meeting at the Kyria, the central Tel Aviv district that houses the main Israeli army base.
According to local media outlet, MTV, the sons of several Hezbollah cadres were injured in the explosions.
In addition to the death of MP Ali Ammar's son, the sons of MP Hassan Fadlallah, the head of Hezbollah's liaison and coordination unit Wafiq Safa and the head of Hezbollah's media relations department Mohammad Afif were also reportedly injured.
⚡The Iranian embassy announced in a statement that Ambassador Mojtaba Amani was "superficially injured" in the explosion of his pager and that his "general condition is good."
A video verified by L'Orient Today, filmed inside the emergency room of the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUMC), shows at least eight wounded individuals in serious condition, including at least one child. The injuries include severed phalanges and deep wounds to the head and abdomen.
⚡ Health Minister Firas al-Abiad: At least eight people have been killed and more than 2,800 injured, including critical cases, as a result of the pager explosions.
Israel's top security officials were summoned for an emergency meeting with government leaders, where they were asked to present options for addressing the escalating security situation with Hezbollah in the north, Haaretz reports.
This meeting comes amid heightened concerns in Israel that Hezbollah may be gearing up for military action, according to the Israeli newspaper.
"Officials were instructed to cancel prior commitments to attend the meeting at Israel's Defense Ministry complex in Tel Aviv."
Recent Israeli intelligence reports have "detected unusual signs of Hezbollah's military preparations in southern Lebanon," Haaretz reports, adding that the Israeli army "is working to balance restraint while negotiating a security agreement through intermediaries in Lebanon and considering the need for a preemptive strike to prevent Hezbollah from achieving a military or propaganda advantage."
Hezbollah has announced that its specialized services are currently conducting a "thorough investigation on both security and technical levels, to understand the causes of these simultaneous explosions," according to the first statement released by the party following the detonation of hundreds of pagers across Lebanon.
"At the same time, medical and health services are treating the injured in various hospitals across the Lebanese regions," the statement adds. "We call on our dear compatriots to beware of rumors, and false and misleading information spread by certain groups which serve psychological warfare for the benefit of the Zionist enemy."
"We confirm that the resistance is in full capacity to defend Lebanon and its resilient people."
Following the large-scale attack in Lebanon, Hezbollah issued its first statement:
"At around 3:30 p.m., several beepers exploded among employees of various Hezbollah units and institutions. These mysterious explosions have so far caused the death of a little girl and two of our brothers, and injured many people."
"This operation reveals that Hezbollah has been caught off guard technologically," analyzed Janane Khoury, a cybersecurity consultant for OLJ. "The explosion of these communication devices is the biggest security breach the party has experienced to date. It is a spectacular and unprecedented attack. However, I’m not surprised that the perpetrators chose this method. Israel has considerable expertise in this area, with skilled technicians and specialized applications capable of interacting with various connected devices," she added
A map showing the regions reportedly most affected by the pager explosions across Lebanon (Credit: L'Orient Today)
A field hospital has been set up in Sour by an association of first-aid workers to receive the wounded, reports our regional correspondent. It has 12 beds and can accommodate people with light to moderate injuries.
⚡Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar's son has died as a result of the explosion of the pagers, according to local media outlets.
Meanwhile, Haaretz reported citing a Saudi report that senior Hezbollah officials have been injured in the radio explosions.
The Lebanese Civil Defense has announced that it has mobilized all its teams and vehicles to assist with the hundreds of people injured in the pager explosions. The organization also assures that its rescue workers are providing first aid to the injured before transporting them to hospitals. The press release notes that, due to the saturation of facilities in South Lebanon, the wounded from this region are being transported to hospitals outside the governorate.
After the wave of pager explosions, hundreds of wounded Lebanese were hospitalized and:
- Israeli aircraft targeted the village of Blida (Marjayoun) at around 5:30 p.m., according to residents.
- An Israeli drone struck Khiam.
Here are the developments along the Blue Line, before the wave of pager explosions in the various regions:
- Hezbollah announced that it had fired artillery shells at the Israeli site of "Raheb," which faces the Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil), at 3:10 p.m.
- Two Israeli airstrikes targeted Aita al-Shaab, according to residents.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that "a number of Lebanese Hezbollah members" arrived at hospitals in Damascus after the radio equipment they were carrying exploded. A walkie-talkie reportedly exploded inside a car on a road near the Kafr Sousah district of Damascus.
In a message on X, Israeli journalist Anshel Pfeffer, columnist for Haaretz and Israel correspondent for The Economist magazine, wrote that "a state which has the ability to hack into the communication system of an enemy organization isn’t going to reveal it has that ability just to wound the organization’s operatives, unless…
1. As a prelude to a wider operation
2. To prevent a planned operation by the enemy organization
3. The (vulner)ability was about to be exposed
4. They already have better abilities
5. Distraction from a major (political or intelligence) fiasco
6. All or some of the above"
At Sainte-Therese Medical Center in Hadath, a patient on-site told L'Orient Today that ambulances have been arriving incessantly. The emergency department is reportedly overcrowded, and equipment has been requisitioned. He reported that more than 45 people were injured and that hospital services have started redirecting people arriving to other hospitals, notably to Saint-Georges Hospital.
"The hospital doctors threw out the pagers," he added.
According to sources close to Hezbollah quoted by the Wall Street Journal, some people who had a pager in their possession felt that the device was overheating and threw it away, before it exploded.
Hanin Ghaddar, a researcher at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, on the Israeli attack:
"This is a very extensive operation that highlights an important point: Hezbollah is completely exposed to Israeli intelligence and military capabilities. The Israelis can do whatever they want with Hezbollah members and personnel, at any time and in any place," she tells OLJ.
"If there is no decision yet to go to war, this attack is a pressure tactic used by the Israelis to push Hezbollah into an agreement that strengthens Israeli security."
2/2. Elijah Magnier analysis continued:
3- Remote activation: The mention of an explosion implies a remote triggering mechanism, possibly using a specific frequency or coded signal that activates the explosive device inside the pager. This requires both technical sophistication and precise timing to maximize casualties.
4- Security breach: This incident reveals a major breach in Hezbollah's security protocols. The fact that the organization failed to detect the tampered pagers before they were distributed suggests a flaw in supply chain control and internal security measures.
1/2. In a post on social network X, military expert and war veteran Elijah Magnier analyzes the breach, particularly in terms of upstream preparation.
1- Technical intrusion: For Israel to embed an explosive trigger within the new batch of pagers, they would have likely needed access to the supply chain of these devices. Israeli intelligence has infiltrated the production process, adding an explosive component and remote triggering mechanism into the pagers without raising suspicion.
2 - Third-party involvement: The involvement of a third-party vendor could be a cover for the intelligence services or an intermediary working with Israel and facilitating the distribution of these tampered devices to Hezbollah.
The wounded continue to arrive at Hôtel-Dieu de France hospital in Beirut's Achrafieh district, according to our local reporter. Two patients suffering from severe hemorrhages were brought to the hospital around 5:20 p.m. by ambulances from the al-Rissala Scouts, affiliated with the Amal movement. Shortly after, an ambulance from the Lebanese Red Cross arrived with one additional injured person. Two minutes later, four more wounded individuals were admitted.
Journalists are currently barred from filming or taking photos.
Former Lebanese Defense Minister, Yacoub Sarraf, said that he does not believe that the detonation of the pagers is a cyber breach but rather "this type of equipment has a code encoded by its manufacturer, to ensure that it can be detonated under an information key called “back door” that allows the manufacturer to access and give instructions to detonate the device."
"From the above, I conclude that the enemy [Israel] was given this code and used it to commit this horrible crime. Pray for the wounded."
In an urgent press release, the Health Ministry has instructed all medical staff to report to their workplaces as quickly as possible due to the influx of wounded arriving at hospitals. The ministry is also urging citizens to avoid blocking streets to facilitate the transport of the injured and to coordinate with the Lebanese Red Cross to ensure an adequate supply of blood. Finally, the ministry has directed hospitals to admit and treat all wounded patients at their own expense.
The pagers that exploded were the latest model brought by Hezbollah in recent months, three security sources told Reuters.
An ambulance arriving at the Lebanese-Geitaoui hospital in Beirut. (Credit: Amelia Hankins/L'Orient Today)
In the past 20 minutes, at least six ambulances have arrived at the emergency ward of Beirut's Lebanese-Geitaoui Hospital, sirens blaring, according to our reporter on the scene. The hospital specializes in treating burn victims.
Iran's Mehr News agency said that Iranian ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani was injured in a pager explosion, Reuters reported.
More than 1,000 people have been injured in beeper explosions in Lebanon, according to security sources cited by Reuters.
According to the local NBN channel, which is affiliated with the Amal movement (a Hezbollah ally), some 50 people are critically injured, but no deaths have so far been reported.
The Internal Security Forces (ISF) are asking residents in and around the areas affected by the explosions to use the roads only in emergencies, to keep the way clear for ambulances and police cars.
According to local TV station MTV, police set up a security perimeter in the so-called "UNESCO" district of Beirut, after a car exploded containing a person in possession of an exploding beeper.
The head of the local council in Shlomi, northern Israel, Gabi Na'aman, urged residents to stay close to shelters.
"Due to the unique security situation we have been in for the past hour, I ask you, out of an abundance of caution, to stay close to your children and shelters," he said, according to Haaretz.
A close advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu suggested, in a message on X which he later deleted, that Israel was behind the explosions in Lebanon.
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which did not give the name of the advisor, Netanyahu's office claims that this person is not a government spokesman.
So far, no one has claimed responsibility for this large-scale attack.
A resident of Haret Hreik, in Beirut's southern suburbs, shared their account:
"The beeper explosions sounded like gunfire. A young man collapsed in my street, and we initially thought he had been shot or attempted suicide. There are wounded people nearby. Ambulances are still rushing to transport the injured, and while we don’t know if there are any fatalities, hundreds have been affected. Some of the wounded have yet to be rescued."
According to our correspondent in the South, numerous ambulances with sirens blaring are driving through Saida, and the city's hospitals are filled with wounded, many of whom are from the outskirts.
An appeal urging people not to share information about the wounded or the main targeted areas is circulating on social networks linked to Hezbollah.
The message warns, "This is the information the enemy is waiting for." These groups are also calling on the public not to post videos of the explosions.
The Lebanese Health Ministry asked all hospitals to remain on high alert to deal with the number of injured people arriving.
In a statement described as "urgent," the ministry confirmed "the large number of injured due to what appears to be an explosion of beepers that the victims had in their possession." Hospitals, especially those in areas where the explosions took place, must "remain ready to rapidly receive any injured people who arrive, and maintain contact with the Health Ministry so that cases can be distributed as best as possible to the facilities".
The ministry also asked citizens "who have beepers to stay away from them until the facts surrounding the incident are clarified."
During the Cabinet meeting, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati was informed of the attacks in several Lebanese regions and asked caretaker Health Minister Firas Abiad to leave the meeting and mobilize his ministry's teams to monitor the situation.
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According to our photojournalist, based in Hadath in the southern suburbs of Beirut, dozens of ambulances are circulating in the area, with the wounded being transported to hospitals in cars and on mopeds.
A source close to Hezbollah told AFP that it was "Israeli breach."
A Hezbollah official quoted by Reuters said that the pager detonations were "the biggest security breach to date."
Hundreds of Hezbollah members were wounded after their pagers exploded in the capital and the south, a security source told Reuters.
AFP reported that "dozens of members" had been wounded.
Calls for blood donations were also issued by several hospitals in South Lebanon.
Photos circulating on social networks, which L'Orient Today was not able to authenticate yet, show potential victims of this attack, bloodied, notably on their hands or in the areas around their pockets.
Several people were reportedly wounded in the Nabatieh, Sour and Marjayoun districts.
Ambulances' sirens were also heard in Saida, following explosions of "beeper" batteries, according to our correspondent in the South.
In the Bekaa, the Sohmor hospital called for blood donations after the attack.
Calls to dispose of "beepers" or "pagers" are being sent out via social networks in several parts of the country.
Unlike cell phones, pagers are difficult to trace and operate in areas with limited telephone coverage. They don't require SIM cards or Internet connections, making them more difficult to locate and monitor.
(Credit: Exploded pager sent to L'Orient Today by Sour resident)
⚡ At least 10 Hezbollah members were injured after communication devices — reportedly "pagers — in their possession exploded, security sources and witnesses told Reuters.
A resident of Shehabieh, in the Southern Lebanon's Sour district, told our local correspondent that a dozen people were injured and hospitalized after the batteries of pagers exploded.
Cases of "pager" explosions have also been reported in the Bekaa, according to our correspondent in the region.
The explosions were reported in both: the southern suburbs and southern Lebanon.
The devices targeted in this attack are said to be "pagers," small wireless telecommunications devices.
According to people on the scene, ambulances were heading for the southern suburbs of Beirut.
⚡A detonation, the cause of which remains unknown, was heard in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Reports are circulating that Israel may have detonated communications devices used by Hezbollah.
In response to the strike that killed three people in Blida, Hezbollah announced that it had launched a drone attack on "the new headquarters of the Israeli reconnaissance force of the Golani brigade, in the Ramot Naftali barracks," which faces Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil).
According to the Israeli army, quoted by Haaretz, several drones crossed the Blue Line from Lebanon. "Some were intercepted and others fell near the Naftali Mountains." No injuries were reported.
Al-Arabiya TV reported that the former security official who was allegedly targeted in a bomb attack, which was foiled by security forces, was former Israeli army chief of staff Aviv Kochavi.
Israel's domestic intelligence service, the Shin Bet, and the Israeli army announced on Tuesday that they had foiled an "attack planned in the coming days by Hezbollah against a former senior Israeli security official." According to the domestic intelligence service, the Shiite party was planning to use "a remotely activated explosive device" from Lebanon.
Find the details here.
According to a message on X from the Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, the strike on Blida targeted "a Hezbollah military building" and killed "three saboteurs" from the party who were inside. Hezbollah has not yet announced the identities of the three victims.
Residents of several communities in the Upper Galilee, in northern Israel, have been urged to stay close to shelters and avoid gatherings, according to Haaretz. The area's regional council also urged people to avoid driving to reduce traffic. The warning comes after the Israeli military said three Hezbollah members were killed in an airstrike in Blida.
Hezbollah announced that it had fired "rockets" at an Israeli artillery position at the "Za'oura" site, opposite Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil).
According to Haaretz, drone warnings of drone infiltration or rocket fire have been sounded in northern Israel.
The Lebanese Health Ministry announced that the Israeli strike on Blida (Marjayoun) left three dead and two wounded. The identities of the victims were not immediately known.
Lebanon's permanent mission to the U.N. filed a complaint with the Security Council in New York following the Sept. 7 Israeli drone strike that killed three members of the Civil Defense in Froun.
In its complaint, Lebanon denounces "the inhumane, repeated and unjustified Israeli attacks against rescue operations, health centers and health institutions," which represent "flagrant violations of human rights, international law and international humanitarian law."
The U.N. General Assembly will debate, starting today, a Palestinian draft resolution demanding an end to the occupation of Palestinian territories within "12 months," a text that has provoked the anger of Israel.
In addition to the strike on Blida:
- Hezbollah announced that it had targeted a group of Israeli soldiers at the site of "Tallet al-Karantina," opposite Yaroun (Bint Jbeil).
- Israeli artillery fire targeted the outskirts of Yaroun, according to local residents.
Two people were injured in an Israeli airstrike on Blida (Marjayoun), according to local residents contacted by L'Orient Today's correspondent. This strike was carried out while residents of the village were on the scene trying to recover their belongings from their homes.
A senior Yemeni Houthi rebel official claimed that Washington had offered to recognize the Houthi government in Sanaa in exchange for a halt to attacks in the Red Sea, a claim the United States quickly dismissed as false.
Gaza's Health Ministry announced an updated death toll of 41,252 with 26 people killed in the last 24 hours.
The ministry added that 95,497 people have been injured since the war began on Oct. 7.
Since yesterday evening, and until 2 a.m., Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for a series of strikes against Israeli positions:
- In response to the Israeli bombings on Monday on Blida and Kfar Shouba, it said it hit with katyusha rockets "the barracks of Ramot Naftali," opposite Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil).
- In response to the strikes on Odaisseh and Taybeh, the party targeted “buildings used by Israeli soldiers” in Metula.
- Hezbollah also announced that it ambushed with artillery fire an Israeli patrol that was near the site of "Bayyad Blida," opposite Blida (Marjayoun).
- Another operation of the same type, carried out "after surveillance," targeted with "guided missiles" a vehicle patrol located near the site of "Ramiya," opposite Ramieh (Bint Jbeil). The strike destroyed the targeted vehicles, and a second round of fire was sent on "reinforcements" sent by the Israeli army, according to the party.
In the early hours of the day, Hezbollah again said it attacked the "al-Abad" site twice, opposite Houla, notably using "guided missiles."
An update on the situation on the Lebanese-Israeli border last night:
Around 7 p.m.:
- A house in Taybeh (Marjayoun) was hit by the Israeli air force.
- Artillery fire hit Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil). At least nine shells were fired at different neighborhoods, causing a power outage.
- Houla was hit twice by aerial bombardments.
At 8 p.m.:
- Blida was bombed by the Israeli air force.
- Artillery fire targeted Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil).
At 9 p.m.:
- Flares were fired between Kfar Kila and Deir Mimas (Marjayoun), causing a fire.
Around 10 p.m.:
- Flares were fired over Abbasiyeh (Hasbaya).
Around 11 p.m.:
- Artillery fire targeted Mjaydieh (Hasbaya) and the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab and Blida.
At midnight:
- Artillery fire targeted Houla and Markaba. Residents report that the fire on Markaba included white phosphorus shells.
Around 1 a.m.:
- Artillery fire, described by residents as phosphorus shell strikes, targeted Khiam (Marjayoun) and its surroundings.
On the border between Lebanon and Israel, where Hezbollah has opened a front in support of Gaza, the morning was marked by Israeli machine gun fire in the direction of Blida (Marjayoun), according to local residents contacted by L'Orient Today's correspondent, as well as artillery fire towards the outskirts of Alma al-Shaab and Yarine (Sour).
At around 7:45 a.m., Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a retaliatory strike against "Israeli attacks on villages in the South" and said it targeted "buildings used by Israeli soldiers" in Manara, a border town opposite the Lebanese village of Houla (Marjayoun).
"Nothing justifies the collective punishment" inflicted by Israel on the population of Gaza who are undergoing "unimaginable" suffering, the U.N. Secretary-General denounced yesterday in an interview with AFP.
"It is unimaginable the level of suffering in Gaza, the level of death and destruction is unlike anything I have seen since I became secretary-general," said Antonio Guterres, who has been in office since early 2017. "Obviously, we condemn all the terrorist attacks by Hamas, as well as the hostage-taking," but "the truth is that there is no justification for collective punishment of the Palestinian population, and that is what we are seeing dramatically in Gaza," he added, describing the death, destruction, hunger and disease that the besieged territory is suffering.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Egypt this week to discuss efforts to broker a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, the State Department said in a statement yesterday. Blinken is also expected to co-chair a meeting of the “strategic dialogue” between Washington and Cairo, a key ally that is mediating cease-fire negotiations alongside the United States and Qatar.
"In addition to co-chairing the Strategic Dialogue, the Secretary of State will meet with Egyptian officials to discuss efforts to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza that secures the release of all hostages, alleviates the suffering of the Palestinian people, and contributes to broader regional security," his spokesperson Matthew Miller said in the statement.
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar said his movement was "prepared" to "wage a long war of attrition" against Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. "Joint efforts" with "resistance" groups in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen will "break the will" of Israel, he added in a message of congratulations to Yemen's Houthi rebels, allies of Hamas, who carried out a missile attack on central Israel on Sunday.
These remarks appeared to be in response to the Israeli Defense Minister who had assured last week that "Hamas, as a military formation, no longer exists." On Monday, new Israeli bombings left more than twenty dead in the Gaza Strip, according to doctors and rescue workers. The army has not confirmed this toll.
Benjamin Netanyahu announced this morning that the return of residents of northern Israel, who fled due to Hezbollah fire, was now one of the goals of his government.
"The political and security cabinet updated the aims of the war tonight to include the following section: the safe return of the residents of the north [of the country] to their homes," the Israeli prime minister's office said in a statement.
"The possibility of an agreement is receding because Hezbollah continues to support Hamas," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told visiting U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein yesterday. Gallant also said that "military action" was "the only way to ensure the return of communities in northern Israel to their homes."
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