Hezbollah walkie-talkie blasts kill 20, raise fears of wider Israel conflict

Wednesday's walkie-talkie blasts came as Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announced a "new phase in the war" against the Hamas militant group, adding that the "centre of gravity" is moving north with the deployment of a new military division.

In Short

• Lebanon witnesses back-to-back explosions of communication devices used by Hezbollah
• Walkie-talkie blasts followed a day after thousands of pagers exploded
• Tuesday's blasts killed 12 people, injured 3,000 others

At least 20 people were killed and more than 450 others injured after walkie-talkies, solar equipment and other electronic devices used by members of the Iran-backed Hezbollah detonated on Wednesday across the southern part of the country. Wednesday's incident came just a day after thousands of pagers used by the militants exploded simultaneously in Lebanon and parts of Syria, killing 12 people and injured some 3,000 others.

The walkie-talkie explosions were reported in the southern suburbs of Lebanon's capital Beirut and the Bekaa Valley, known to be Hezbollah strongholds. Lebanon’s official news agency said there were reports of solar energy systems blasting at homes the capital city, leading to at least one girl being injured, reports The Associated Press.

The Lebanese Health Ministry said that some of the people killed in Wednesday's blasts were attending funerals of Tuesday's pager blast victims.

Hezbollah has accused Israel of carrying out the back-to-back explosions, vowing serious retaliation against the Jewish nation.

On Wednesday alone, the militant group announced three strikes in northern Israel, out of which one took place after the walkie-talkie blasts.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah is expected to deliver a major speech on Thursday.

Although Israel is yet to comment on the back-to-back explosions, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has announced a "new phase in the war".

Speaking to Israeli troops on Wednesday, Gallant said, “We are at the start of a new phase in the war, it requires courage, determination and perseverance.”

"The 'centre of gravity' is moving north, meaning that we are allocating forces, resources and energy for the northern arena."

Without mentioning the Lebanon blasts, he also praised the work of Israel’s army and security agencies, saying “the results are very impressive”.

Meanwhile, Icom, a Japanese radio equipment maker, announced that it has launched a probe after media reports said that the walkie-talkies that exploded on Wednesday bore the company's logo and said "made in Japan".

"Earlier today in worldwide media, there have been reports that two-way radio devices bearing the Icom logo have exploded in Lebanon," news agency AFP quoted the company as saying.

"We are currently investigating the facts surrounding this matter. We will release updated information as it becomes available on our website."

Icom also said that it had discontinued the sale of the devices 10 years ago.

In a report, news agency Reuters said that the walkie-talkies were purchased by Hezbollah five months ago, around the same time that the pagers, which exploded on Tuesday, were bought.

The militant group's leadership called the explosions an "Israeli breach" of its communications.

The Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, which has engaged in cross-border skirmishes with Israel since the war with Hamas erupted in October 2023, is known to use pagers and walkie-talkies as low-tech means of communication in an attempt to evade Israeli location tracking.

Hezbollah had instructed its members to avoid mobile phones after the Gaza war began and to rely instead on its own telecommunications system.