Thank you for following our live coverage of the Gaza war and its implications on the region — particularly after the most recent developments in Lebanon, including Israeli operations against Hezbollah's telecommunications facilities.
We will resume our coverage tomorrow morning.
A new series of Israeli strikes targeted the banks of the Litani River and the Maidoun Heights in western Bekaa, reported our correspondent in the region. No further information is available at this time.
Hezbollah announced that its fighters attacked three Israeli barracks this evening:
- They targeted the headquarters of an Israeli battalion in the Liman barracks, opposite Lebanese Naqoura (Sour), "with a salvo of Katyusha rockets."
- They attacked the new headquarters of the Western Brigade in the Yaara barracks "with missiles".
- With a "salvo of Katyusha rockets" they targeted the Adamit barracks, opposite the Lebanese village of Tayr Harfa (Sour).
The Israeli army said it had struck around 30 rocket launchers and Hezbollah infrastructure sites in Lebanon.
"The army struck around 30 Hezbollah launchers and terrorist infrastructure sites containing around 150 launch cannons ready to fire projectiles towards Israeli territory," it said in a statement.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah "could stop the terrorist attacks across Israel, and I guarantee you, if he did that, we would be impressing upon Israel the need to maintain calm on their end. Bottom line is, he hasn't stopped those terrorist attacks," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.
The heads of French and American diplomacy called on all parties "to de-escalate in the Middle East," stating that they were "very concerned" as attacks targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon and attributed to Israel exacerbated fears of all-out war in the region.
"France and the United States are united in calling for restraint and urging de-escalation when it comes to the Middle East in general and when it comes to Lebanon in particular," Blinken said after talks in Paris with his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne.
Caretaker Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib has asked Lebanon's acting permanent representative to the United Nations in New York, Hadi Hachem, to lodge a complaint with the Security Council following the Israeli attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday, says a statement from Bou Habib's press office. According to the statement, this "terrorist attack constitutes a war crime against the defenseless Lebanese people."
"The Foreign Affairs Minister will lead the Lebanese delegation to condemn this terrorist crime, hold Israel accountable and exert all possible pressure to stop its aggression against defenseless civilians while respecting international laws and conventions," the statement said.
The U.N. Security Council is due to hold an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the series of deadly explosions of transmission devices, including pagers, belonging to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has postponed his planned visit to Israel next week, reported Reuters.
Caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati received a call from British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who expressed his solidarity with Lebanon and condolences for the victims of the explosions of the past two days, Mikati's press office reported in a statement.
Lammy expressed his "deep concern at the escalation of tensions" and stressed "the need to seek a solution to restore stability and security along the Blue Line". He also assured that he would make "all the necessary contacts to guarantee support for Lebanon and preserve its security and stability," the statement added.
Residents in Kfour, Toul, and other villages in Nabatieh reported to our correspondent that an Israeli drone was flying over the areas and broadcasting a message: "Nasrallah calls for more destruction and displacement."
Hezbollah announced that its fighters had targeted the Israeli Samaka site, located in the disputed Kfar Shuba hills in the Hasbaya district, at 7pm.
Hamas issued a statement praising Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah's speech, in which he "reaffirmed the valuable support of the Islamic resistance in Lebanon until the Nazi aggression and genocide in Gaza cease." "This position, which is greatly appreciated by our people and our resistance, constitutes a setback for [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and his fascist government," the statement added.
"We affirm that the Zionist enemy's terrorism, with its intensification of all forms of murder, massacres and genocide against civilians in Palestine and Lebanon, has surpassed all international values, norms and laws ... The international community must act to reject this entity, isolate it and try its leaders for their crimes," Hamas' statement concluded.
⚡ "In the new phase of the war there are significant opportunities but also significant risks. Hezbollah feels that it is being persecuted and the sequence of military actions will continue," said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in a statement.
"Our goal is to ensure the safe return of Israel's northern communities to their homes. As time goes by, Hezbollah will pay an increasing price."
Four people have been lightly injured in the Israeli attack on Hanieh, in southern Lebanon's sour district, the Health Ministry said in a statement.
Three of the injured are Palestinians and one Lebanese — all have been treated in the emergency room, the statement added.
Commenting on the rising tension in the region after the unprecedented attack on Hezbollah's telecommunication methods, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he "did not want to see escalatory actions by either side. That would make a cease-fire agreement in Gaza even more difficult," adding that he believed a cease-fire remained "possible and necessary," Reuters reported.
"France and the United States are unanimous in calling for restraint in the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon," he added.
An Israeli strike has once again targeted Deir Amess (Sour district) in southern Lebanon, residents reported to our correspondent.
Before 5:00 p.m., Israeli artillery fire targeted the outskirts of Shamaa and Jibbein, both in the Sour district. Israeli artillery fire also targeted Yater and Aita al-Shaab, both in the Bint Jbeil district.
During Hassan Nasrallah's speech, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for multiple attacks against Israeli positions in response to strikes on southern Lebanon:
- It attacked the Mattat barracks, facing Lebanese Rmeish (Bint Jbeil), with salvos of Katyusha rockets.
- Another strike, also using Katyusha rockets, targeted the Shomera barracks opposite Lebanese Marwahine (Bint Jbeil).
- Katyusha rockets were also fired at the headquarters of the 810th Harmoun 810 brigade, in the Ma'ale barracks in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
⚡ The Israeli army says it has killed two people "who had tried to plant a bomb" near a military outpost on the Lebanese border, Haaretz reported. According to the army spokesman, they were killed by Israeli gunfire and airstrikes.
⚡Two Israeli soldiers were killed by "Hezbollah fire" in northern Israel, reported Haaretz citing the Israeli army.
To find out more, press here.👈
Israel will face "a crushing response from the axis of resistance", Iran's Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Salami told Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday according to state media, after attacks on Lebanese Hezbollah's communication devices.
"Such terrorist acts are undoubtedly the result of the Zionist regime's despair and successive failures. This will soon be met with a crushing response from the axis of resistance and we will witness the destruction of this bloodthirsty and criminal regime," Salami said in his message to Nasrallah.
🔴 Nasrallah:
"There is no doubt that the aggression that has taken place is a major and unprecedented one, which will be met with harsh retaliation and just punishment, [which will come from] where they expect it and where they don't."
"Allow me to change my method: I won't talk about when or where the retaliation will come. Of course, the punishment will come. When, where and how ... You'll know when the time comes. We won't talk about it here. We're in the most precise, sensitive and important part of the confrontation."
* With this Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah concluded his speech.
Nasrallah:
"The commander of the northern region, a fool, proposed creating a security zone [along the border in Lebanon] ... If you think you're building a security belt around the resistance and you think you're limiting the fighting to this zone, your military centers will be targeted in the north of occupied Palestine (Israel). And even further! It will be a trap, an abyss and a hell for you!"
* According to reports in the Israeli press two days ago, the head of Israel's Northern Command, Ori Gordin, recommended the establishment of a buffer zone in southern Lebanon.
🔴 Nasrallah addressed Netanyahu directly stating, "You won't succeed in returning the citizens of the north home. Do what whatever you want, you won't succeed. The only solution is to stop the aggression against the people of Gaza. Neither military escalation, murder, nor an all-out war will bring your settlers and inhabitants back to the border! You know this.
* Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised on Wednesday to return tens of thousands of residents evacuated from the northern border areas to their homes. "I've said it before, we will bring the citizens of the north safely home, and that's exactly what we're going to do," Netanyahu said in a brief video, without providing further details.
Nasrallah:
"The enemy knows that what it has done does not shake our organization, our strength or our determination. On the contrary, it makes us even stronger."
Nasrallah:
"The wounded show their strength and their desire to return to the field once they've recovered. That's the response to the enemy!"
Nasrallah:
"We say to the enemy: the Lebanese front will not stop until the war in Gaza is over! We've been saying this for almost 12 months. Despite all the massacres, the wounded and the sacrifices, I say this, whatever the obstacles and sacrifices, the resistance in Lebanon will not stop its support for Gaza, the West Bank and Palestine!"
Nasrallah:
"Since day one, the enemy has been trying to stop the Lebanese support front through using every means of intimidation."
"The attempt to separate the Lebanese front from that of Gaza, as well as the multiple threats of all-out war, are recurrent. The recent operations are part of this context."
⚡ The Israeli air force broke the sound barrier over Beirut. Two loud explosions were heard.
🔴 Nasrallah:
"We will not fall. We will become stronger and prepare for worse."
Nasrallah:
"The enemy used a widespread civilian device in different factions of society and repeated this action on Wednesday by detonating communication devices, regardless of where they were located. Some of the explosions occurred in hospitals, markets, on public roads, in homes and places mainly occupied by civilians."
Nasrallah:
"We'll call them the 'Tuesday massacre' and the 'Wednesday massacre.' Many disasters were avoided, as many wounds were minor, and a number of these pagers were switched off, while others had not yet been distributed."
Israeli fighter jets have reportedly flown at a very low altitude over Beirut as Nasrallah's speech is being televised.
As Hassan Nasrallah began his speech, Israeli warplanes conducted a series of violent raids along the border, from the district of Sour in the west to Hasbaya in the east, according to local sources contacted by our correspondent.
These strikes targeted Jennata, Deir Kanoun al-Nahr, Mjadel, Markaba, Qabrikha, Bani Hayan, Mansouri, Deir Amess, Hasis, Deir Antar, Haniyeh, Zebqine, Froun and Rabb Thalathin.
The bombings mainly focused on valleys and wooded areas, according to the correspondent's sources, who noted that several of these localities were targeted for the first time since Oct. 8.
🔴 "Yes, we have received a hard and severe blow," stated Nasrallah during his speech.
Nasrallah:
"Their [the Israelis'] objective has been largely thwarted. We have set up various investigative committees and are studying all possible scenarios."
Nasrallah:
"What happened on Tuesday ... constitutes a violation of all laws and red lines, without regard for anything, neither humanitarian nor ethical."
Nasrallah:
"In the span of two days and in barely a minute each time, Israel tried to kill more than 5,000 people."
* He explained that those pagers were distributed among Hezbollah members. He added that some were not even distributed yet.
🔴 Nasrallah:
"The Israelis broke all the rules of confrontation," in Tuesday's operation
🔴 Nasrallah:
"We have witnessed a great massacre throughout the country, a massacre without precedent."
"We thank the Lebanese government, the Health Ministry, the hospitals, the health centers, the health care institutions, the doctors and nurses. We thank the Syrian government for opening its hospitals and helping us."
Hassan Nasrallah began by addressing those wounded in the events of the past couple of days. He wished them a speedy recovery.
"Hospitals have been overloaded by the number of wounded in recent days," he said.
"I would like to thank all those who have donated blood in all regions and all those who have helped transport the wounded."
Nasrallah: "What prompted me to speak today are the events that have unfolded over the past two days, and this requires words, an assessment and a stance."
"What has happened over the last few days obviously requires us to take a stand," said Hassan Nasrallah at the start of his speech.
🔴 Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah has begun his speech. It is his first appearance since the explosions of Hezbollah's pagers and walkie-talkies on Tuesday and Wednesday that killed 32 people and wounded thousands.
According to several Israeli media, last night many Israelis received false alarm messages calling on them to take refuge in shelters.
Citing the KAN News channel, the Jerusalem Post reports that Israeli authorities are examining the possibility that these messages may have been sent by Iran. The Israeli army has denied being behind the alerts.
A United Nations committee has accused Israel of "grave" violations of a global treaty protecting children's rights, claiming that its military actions in Gaza had a "catastrophic" impact on them and were among the worst violations in recent history, Reuters reported.
More than 41,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military campaign in response to Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, which left 1,200 dead and 250 hostages. Palestinian health authorities said earlier this week that 11,355 of those killed in Gaza were children, based solely on fully documented deaths.
"The scandalous death of children is almost unique in history. This is an extremely dark moment in history," Bragi Gudbrandsson, vice-chairman of the commission, told reporters. "I don't think we've seen a violation as massive as the one we've seen in Gaza before. These are extremely serious violations that we don't often see," he said.
Hezbollah said it launched a "salvo of missiles," again against the "Zar'it" barracks.
The Pentagon expressed growing concern about a possible Israeli ground offensive in southern Lebanon, the Wall Street Journal reported. Following recent attacks in Lebanon, Israel has moved a division of commandos and paratroopers to the northern border. However, U.S. officials have said that they see no signs of an imminent ground invasion.
"Even if a decision is made, it will be weeks before Israeli forces are in a position to launch a major offensive," the U.S. officials added, quoted by the WSJ. They also warned that Israel could still launch a smaller operation without a major military deployment.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for "de-escalation" in the Middle East on Thursday in a statement delivered alongside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is visiting Madrid.
"Today, the risk of escalation is increasing again in a dangerous way " in Lebanon, he declared at the end of a meeting of about an hour with the Palestinian president.
"We must therefore launch a new firm call for restraint, de-escalation and peaceful coexistence between countries, in short, for peace," he added.
According to a new report announced by Health Minister Firas Abiad, 12 people died in the explosion of Hezbollah's booby-trapped beepers on Tuesday and 2,323 were injured.
Separately, 25 people died and 608 were injured in the explosion of the party's walkie-talkies on Wednesday. Abiad, speaking at a news conference, said 226 people injured on Tuesday were still hospitalized.
According to MTV, more than 500 people were hit in the eyes by the pager explosion, including 300 who lost their sight completely.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for two new strikes on Israeli positions:
- It said it launched an artillery strike at 1:25 p.m. on the site of "Ramia," opposite Ramieh (Bint Jbeil).
- It claimed responsibility for artillery fire against the site of "Zar'it," opposite Marwahine (Bint Jbeil).
Civil Aviation in Lebanon asked airlines operating at Beirut airport to ban the transport of any pager or walkie-talkie communication device on board until further notice – devices must not be carried in their luggage, hand luggage or cargo.
The Lebanese army announced that it is currently carrying out operations to safely detonate "suspicious" beepers and walkie-talkies in different regions of the country. It asked citizens to stay away from places where such operations are taking place and to report "any suspicious object" and avoid approaching it.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for two strikes against Israeli positions using one-way drones, "in response to the enemy's hostilities in south Lebanon and in particular in Kfar Kila (Marjayoun)." The first strike targeted Israeli artillery and military positions in Beit Hillel opposite the Lebanese village of Houla, while the second hit a military position in Ya'ara, opposite the Lebanese town of Alma al-Shaab.
Hezbollah announced the deaths of five of its members following Wednesday's wave of explosions of communication devices which hit various regions in Lebanon for the second consecutive day.
The toll from yesterday's attacks so far stands at 25 dead and more than 450 injured.
Hezbollah did not mention the attacks in the five separate statements, but a source close to the party confirmed to L'Orient Today's correspondent that the deaths occurred following yesterday's explosions.
The five new victims are:
-Hussein Ali Amhaz, 53 years old, originally from Niha in the Bekaa
-Nazir Youssef Noun, 53 years old, originally from Ram, in the Bekaa
-Fadlallah Shehadeh Msheik, 54 years old, originally from Mazraat Beit Msheik in the Bekaa
-Bassam Hussein Ftouni, 51 years old, originally from Kherbet Selm in south Lebanon
-Jaafar Ahmad Hussein, 35 years old, from Sohmor in the Bekaa
Caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati during a meeting with the British Ambassador to Lebanon, Hamish Cowell, at the Grand Serail. (Photo sent to L'Orient Today's correspondent Michel Hallak)
"The U.N. Security Council must take a firm stance against the Israeli aggression targeting Lebanon and the technological war it is waging against it, which is causing hundreds of deaths and dozens of injuries," said caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati during a meeting with the British Ambassador to Lebanon, Hamish Cowell, at the Grand Serail.
"The international community is primarily responsible for deterring Israel," he added. "The government meeting scheduled for tomorrow must result in a deterrent decision that can put an end to the war of extermination that Israel is waging," he added.
Funeral of a Hezbollah fighter in Baalbeck, Bekaa, Sept. 19, 2024. (Photo sent to L'Orient Today's correspondent Sarah Abdallah)
Hezbollah MP Hussein Hajj Hassan paid tribute to the victims and injured in the walkie-talkie blasts, saying they carried "a message of resistance and strength."
"We knew that this is a path strewn with sacrifices ... We tell the enemy that it will not be able to shake the resistance and its support in Gaza," he said, during the funeral of a Hezbollah fighter from Baalbeck who was killed by one of these IEDs.
An Israeli airstrike targeted a home in the Qassayer neighborhood, located east of the village of Mais al-Jabal (Bint Jbeil), reports a resident quoted by L'Orient Today's correspondent. Two other strikes hit a farm in the village of Khiam and a home in the village of Taybeh (Marjayoun), according to local residents. No injuries were reported following the strike on Khiam, according to rescuers from the al-Rissala association, affiliated with the Amal movement. No additional information is available at this stage regarding the other strikes.
The government commissioner to the military court, Judge Fadi Akiki, sent directives to the Lebanese army's intelligence directorate and the information branch of the Internal Security Forces, asking them to collect all relevant technical and security data regarding the recent bombings of Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
Furthermore, he asked the ISF to assess and document the number of dead and wounded throughout Lebanese territory.
The Israeli army said it struck six Hezbollah "infrastructure sites" and an arms depot in southern Lebanon overnight, AFP reports.
The air force "struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure sites in the areas of Shihine, Taybeh, Blida, Mais al-Jabal, Aitaroun and Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon, as well as a Hezbollah weapons warehouse in the Khiam area," according to an Israeli army statement.
Haaretz reports that two people were injured, one seriously, in a drone attack in northern Israel, near Ya'ara. This town is located three kilometers from the Blue Line, opposite Alma al-Shaab (Sour). Other drones fell near Beit Hillel, according to the media.
Several people were injured in a drone attack in northern Israel, near Ya'ara, Haaretz reports. Ya'ara is located three kilometers from the Blue Line, opposite Alma al-Shaab (Sour).
Following reports in the media that the company that supplied the explosive beepers to Hezbollah was a Bulgarian company, called Norta Global Ltd, authorities in Sofia confirmed that these devices "never passed through Bulgaria" and that the company "did not make any type of transaction related to their export or transit." According to Bulgarian authorities, the company mentioned as having sold the pagers "only had an administrative headquarters in Bulgaria and could have been used as a front" only.
The New York Times, citing security sources, reported this morning that the pagers were allegedly manufactured by Israeli intelligence, which allegedly used at least three front companies to cover up the operation.
Beirut airport Flight Update:
Late in the morning, the Beirut airport website showed that AirAlgeria, Emirates and Turkish Airlines had cancelled flights to Beirut, scheduled at different times of the day from Algiers, Dubai and Istanbul respectively.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused "Israel of extending the war to Lebanon" after explosions on mobile devices since Tuesday.
"The escalation in the region is worrying. We have reached the point where ... Iran, Hezbollah and their close elements have no choice but to react," the minister said.
According to a New York Times analysis of visual evidence, the walkie-talkies held by Hezbollah members that exploded in Lebanon yesterday were nearly three times heavier than the pagers that detonated the day before, which may explain why the blasts were more deadly. The walkie-talkies may have contained more explosives, according to the Times. Although yesterday's blasts were not as widespread as previous ones, they sparked larger fires.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned "all sides" against escalation in the Middle East after a wave of explosions of communications equipment in Lebanon has raised fears of an all-out war with Israel.
"For months, we and all our partners have been holding discussions, making phone calls ... trying to make the smallest progress towards stability. Attack and counterattack do not advance the region one millimeter towards peace," she wrote on X.
Meanwhile, the war in Gaza continues unabated. At least five people were killed on Wednesday by an Israeli airstrike on a school converted into a shelter for displaced people in a neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, according to the Gaza Civil Defense.
The army confirmed the strike, saying Hamas fighters were using the school "to plan and carry out terrorist activities."
According to Haaretz, eight people were injured in northern Israel after a Hezbollah strike. Six of them were evacuated to Ziv Hospital in Safed with light to moderate injuries. Two others were evacuated to Haifa in more serious condition.
Diplomatic representatives for the U.S., France, Germany, Italy and the U.K. will meet in Paris today to take stock of the status of negotiations for a truce in Gaza and the situation in Lebanon, according to diplomatic sources cited by AFP.
An Israeli citizen who was recruited by Iranian intelligence to plan assassinations of Israeli figures including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been arrested, police and the Shin Bet (domestic intelligence) said in a joint statement.
"An Israeli citizen was recruited by Iranian intelligence to promote the assassination of Israeli figures. He was smuggled into Iran on two occasions and was paid to carry out missions," the statement said, adding that Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and other senior officials were among the targets.
According to a source at Beirut airport and another at a Lebanese travel agency who wished to remain anonymous, Air France canceled its flight from Paris to the Lebanese capital scheduled for tomorrow and it may do the same for Saturday's flight unless tensions ease.
Pager bombs, as seen by a former French spy, interviewed by Le Monde:
Israel has not claimed responsibility for the Sept. 17, 2024 pager-bomb attack on Hezbollah, but there is “little doubt” that Mossad was involved, according to Olivier Mas, a former French spy who worked in Lebanon. “There aren't that many players capable of such an operation. Mossad and the Israeli services in general are the Western services that are the most precise, the strongest in relation to Hezbollah by far,” explained the former DGSE agent. “Mossad's technical level is well known; they are among the best in the world. They have this audacity in their doctrine to carry out war operations outside the law to destroy the identified enemies of the State of Israel,” he continued.
“The ability to put small explosives in beepers is very easy, because you only need about twenty grams of explosives, or even a little more, and it makes a lethal explosion. These techniques are often used, but until now on an individual basis. Here, the masterstroke is to have had access to all the pagers and to do this systematically, simultaneously, on thousands of devices”, stressed Mas, who adds that Israel has ‘infiltrated sources and sources recruited within Hezbollah and sources active in Iran.’
“Hezbollah has been knocked out. Apart from creating a large number of victims, [the explosions have made it possible] to identify proven members of Hezbollah, because the Israelis don't know their identities, and these identities are secret,” said Mas.
Here is what happened on the Lebanese-Israeli border last night:
At 10 p.m.:
- Artillery fire targeted the outskirts of Beit Yahoun and Kounin (Bint Jbeil).
At 11:30 p.m.:
- Machine gun fire targeted the outskirts of Ramieh and Jabal Blat (Bint Jbeil).
Around midnight:
- Israel launched artillery shells on the outskirts of Tiri (Bint Jbeil).
- Israeli aircraft struck Khiam (Marjayoun), the surroundings of Shihine (Bint Jbeil), Taybeh, Mais al-Jabal and Blida (Marjayoun). Homes were targeted in each of these locations.
Between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m., a series of strikes again targeted the areas around Mais al-Jabal, Blida, Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil) and Kfar Kila (Marjayoun).
And in the morning, artillery fire hit Markaba, Odaisseh and Rub al-Thalathine (Marjayoun), as well as the surroundings of Rmaish (Bint Jbeil).
In the morning, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a strike against an Israeli "assembly point for soldiers" in Margaliot, located opposite the Lebanese village of Markaba (Marjayoun), claiming to have caused deaths and injuries.
According to Haaretz, "several Israelis" were injured by Hezbollah's anti-tank missiles. The Israeli army said it responded "toward the source of the attack." Other Israeli media reported one dead in the Israeli ranks.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell “strongly condemned the explosion of a large number of electronic devices across Lebanon, which caused several casualties and many more injuries,” in a statement. “Once again, the random method used is unacceptable due to the heavy and unavoidable collateral damage among civilians, and the wider consequences for the entire population, including fear and terror, as well as the collapse of hospitals,” Borrell wrote.
“The perpetrators of these attacks aim to sow terror in Lebanon. I support the assessment of the incident made by Volker Turk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the call for an independent investigation. The risk of military escalation, with devastating consequences for the entire region, requires urgent mobilization. The European Union will continue to do its utmost to support the voices calling for peace and reason,” he added.
Regarding Tuesday's explosions, and the origin of the pagers, the New York Times reported, citing three intelligence sources with knowledge of the Israeli operation, that the devices came from an Israeli front company.
According to the American media outlet BAC Consulting, the Hungarian company that allegedly sold the booby-trapped beepers to the party is a "shell company." The company was "Israeli" and "produced pagers for the Taiwanese company Gold Apollo."
According to the NYT article, at least two other companies were created to cover up the fact that the devices were manufactured by Israeli intelligence agents.
Find the details here.
These 20 dead were identified by Hezbollah as:
- Ali Mohammad Sleiman, born in 1994, and originally from Ainata, in south Lebanon.
- Ahmad Ali Hassan, born in 1998, originally from Aitaroun and living in the southern suburbs.
- Salim Abbass Shehadeh, born in 1974, originally from Maaroub.
- Hassan Adel Jaber, born in 1970, from Bani Hayyan, in south Lebanon.
- Abbas Hassan Seifeddine, born 1987, from Halabta in the Bekaa.
- Ali Hassan Hammoud, born in 1991 and originally from Touline, in south Lebanon.
- Mohammad Ali Alameh, born in 1983 and from Aadloun in south Lebanon.
- Ali Ahmad Haidar, born in 1986, and originally from Kfardan in the Bekaa.
- Mohammad Hassan Kourani, born in 1982, originally from Yater in south Lebanon.
- Ali Fawaz Hajj Hassan, born 1991, originally from the town of Shaat in the Bekaa.
- Jawad Yasser Abou Khalil, born in 2005 and originally from Kawthariyet al-Rez (Saida).
- Ahmad Ali Lamah, born in 1982, originally from Aadsheet in south Lebanon.
- Ali Hosni Zaatar, born in 1999, originally from Hadath Baalbeck in the Bekaa.
- Hafez Hussein Ali Melhem, born in 1976, originally from Qabrikha in south Lebanon.
- Mohammad Hussein al-Arab, born in 1979 and originally from Falawi in the Bekaa.
- Fadel Abbass Bazzi, born in 1991 and originally from Bint Jbeil.
- Abdel Menhem Jamal Abdel Menhem, born in 2008, originally from Aitaroun and resident of Kawthariyet al-Rez.
- Ibrahim Abdel Karim Zein al-Din, born in 1995, from the locality of Safad al-Battikh (Bint Jbeil).
- Ali Mohammad Tarhini, born in 2001, from the town of Ebba.
- Ali Mohammad Shalabi, born in 1993 and originally from Kfar Melki (near Saida).
After the Lebanese Ministry of Health officially revised upwards the death toll from yesterday's second wave of explosions to 20 dead and more than 450 wounded, Hezbollah announced the death of 20 of its members, in statements paying tribute to each of them. These party members died "on the road to Jerusalem." Since no casualties were announced in strikes along the front line in south Lebanon, it can be assumed that these 20 dead were killed in the explosions of walkie-talkies.
This toll is the highest in Lebanon since the opening of hostilities with Israel by Hezbollah on Oct. 8. On Tuesday, pager explosions and strikes in south Lebanon left 17 dead.
Without mentioning the explosions in Lebanon, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the "center of gravity" of the war was moving "toward the north," where the almost daily deadly exchanges of fire with Hezbollah had led to the displacement of tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border.
Israel has not commented on the explosions, but the issue has been front-page news in its media. According to Amos Harel of the left-wing daily Haaretz, the explosions of the Lebanese movement's transmission devices have placed "Israel and Hezbollah on the brink of all-out war."
The U.N. Security Council will meet urgently on Friday to discuss the series of explosions.
The last two days have been marked by two waves of explosions of Hezbollah telecommunications devices. On Tuesday, thousands of pagers exploded, killing twelve people and injuring nearly 2,800, while yesterday evening, walkie-talkies also detonated simultaneously, killing 20 people and injuring more than 450. These unprecedented operations have exacerbated fears of an all-out war with Israel.
Hassan Nasrallah, who was not injured in these attacks according to a source close to the movement quoted by AFP, is due to speak at 5:00 p.m. today on these explosions attributed to Israel.
After the explosions, a White House spokesman warned against any "escalation. "
The United States is "not involved" in these operations, said John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, who declined to comment further on the origin of these explosions.
Be sure to read today's special edition of the Morning Brief so you can have all of the latest information on Israel's second attack using Hezbollah's communication devices.
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