Second Wave of Blasts Detonates Hezbollah Radios

Hezbollah was rocked Wednesday by a second wave of explosions with thousands of two-way radios exploding throughout Lebanon's capital city of Beirut and in the southern region of the country.

The blasts took place one day after thousands of personal pagers exploded Tuesday, killing at least 12 people and injuring another 2,800 people.

Sources said to have knowledge of the operation told Axios that Israel was also behind the explosions of the personal radios, which are used by Hezbollah members rather than cell phones.

Their walkie-talkies had been booby-trapped with explosives in advance of their delivery to Hezbollah, which uses them as part of its emergency communications system, which would be used in a war with Israel, the sources said.

The Jerusalem Post reported that according to its sources, the explosions occurred at and near the funerals of four Hezbollah members in Lebanon.

The funeral had been being live-streamed on X, but abruptly ended when the explosions started.

Associated Press journalists working at the scene reported the funeral was for three Hezbollah members and a child who were killed by the exploding pagers on Tuesday.

The pagers that exploded on Tuesday had been made by a company based in Hungary, with an American official saying Israel briefed the United States shortly after Tuesday's explosions, caused after small amounts of explosives were hidden in the pagers.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the United States is assessing how the attacks could affect the cease-fire talks taking place in the Israel-Hamas war.

Israel on Wednesday started moving troops to its border with Lebanon on Wednesday as a precautionary measure, an official with knowledge of the movements said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire for almost a year, starting on Oct. 8, the day after the Hamas assault in southern Israel.

Lebanon Health Minister Firas Abiad told journalists touring hospitals earlier Wednesday that people wounded in Tuesday's attacks suffered several injuries including to their eyes, and many had to have limbs amputated.

The Post said that unofficial reports claimed that iPhones, video cameras, IC-V82 radios, and other devices also detonated, in addition to the walkie-talkies, and that Hezbollah has told its operatives to stay away from all communication devices.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported three people were killed and more than 100 wounded in the latest attacks, the Lebanese authorities said, with the health ministry also describing the devices targeted as walkie-talkies.

Unofficial reports also claimed that Hezbollah told its members to dispose of devices containing a lithium battery or that are connected to the internet.

Further, the reports, which the Post said were not confirmed, claimed that lithium batteries used for solar energy storage detonated, setting some houses on fire.

Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine was quoted by Reuters as saying that the group is in a "new phase" and a "punishment is certainly coming."

According to Lebanese state media, the latest explosions caused wounds to the stomach and hands.

The Lebanese media also claimed drones and aircraft had been seen flying over western and central Lebanon while the explosions were going on.

Hezbollah has blamed Israel for both attacks, but Jerusalem has been publicly silent on the issue. Several foreign media outlets have reported that Israel's Mossad and the Israel Defense Forces intelligence were behind the incidents.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.

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