Twenty people have been killed and at least 450 have been injured after a second day of explosions in Beirut and other cities in Lebanon, after hand-held walkie-talkie devices detonated.
At least one of the blasts reportedly took place near a funeral organized by Iran-backed Hezbollah for those killed the previous day when thousands of pagers used by the group exploded across the country.
While Israel have not confirmed they are behind the attack, their defence minister told troops that they were at the “start of a new phase in the war”, and would be shifting focus to their northern border.
Meanwhile, US officials said that Israel decided to blow up the pager devices on carried by militia group Hezbollah earlier than planned over fears the operation would be discovered.
Twelve people including two children were killed and nearly 3,000 were wounded after the handheld devices simultaneously detonated across Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday afternoon,
“It was a use it or lose it moment,” one US official told Axios about the reasoning Israel gave the Washington for the timing of the attack.
The Iran-backed militant group has vowed to retaliate against Israel, whose military declined to comment on the blasts.
Key Points
- More explosions heard in Lebanon as walkie-talkies targeted
- Death toll rises to 20 after Wednesday explosions
- Israel ‘detonated devices early over fears plan would be discovered’
- Mossad ‘planted explosives’ in pagers months before attack
- Taiwanese manufacturer denies involvement, points to European distributor
- Hundreds of pagers explode in Lebanon and Syria in deadly attack
Netanyahu accuses UK of sending ‘mixed messages’ over support for Israel
04:48
Namita Singh
Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the UK government of sending “mixed messages” over its support for Israel and “undermining” the country’s right to self-defence.
Israel’s prime minister criticised the new Labour administration for suspending around 30 arms exports to Israel amid concerns they could be used in violations of international humanitarian law in the Gaza conflict.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has also dropped the previous Conservative government’s plan to challenge the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) application for an arrest warrant against Mr Netanyahu.
Both decisions have caused diplomatic tensions with Israel, which launched a counter-attack in Gaza after Hamas-led militants broke into Israel and killed around 1,200 people and abducted around 250 others.
More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in the counter-attack, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.
Pentagon chief and Israeli counterpart discuss threats to Israel
04:28
Namita Singh
US defence secretary Lloyd Austin spoke on Wednesday with Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant to review regional security developments and reiterate US support for Israel in the face of threats from Iran, Hezbollah and other Iranian allies, the Pentagon said.
Taiwan closely monitoring Hezbollah pager explosions
04:23
Namita Singh
Taiwan’s national security agencies are closely monitoring the recent detonation of thousands of pagers targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon, defence minister Wellington Koo said.
The incident has drawn Taiwan into the spotlight due to links to a Taiwanese firm, Gold Apollo, which allegedly produced the pagers. However, Gold Apollo denied involvement, stating that the devices were manufactured by a Budapest-based company licensed to use its brand.
“Relevant national security bodies are closely watching developments,” Mr Koo said in Taipei, adding they are “paying great attention” to this.
The Taiwanese government has not provided further details on its involvement or response to the situation.
What has boobytrapping Hezbollah’s pagers actually achieved?
04:00
Holly Evans
As a global propaganda coup for the Israeli security services, the pager attacks on Hezbollah members in Lebanon could scarcely be surpassed.
What kind of a mind, one wonders, dreams up such a macabre lark as this, an “exploding cigar” practical joke on a grand scale?
The sheer audacity of it was very much in the Israeli tradition, and it made some points rather forcefully. It proved that the Israelis could intercept Hezbollah supply lines, and with such ease that they could find the time to fit a few grams of military-grade explosives to each device, disguised as an electronic component.
Read the full article here:
British-educated businesswoman denies making Hezbollah explosive pagers which killed at least 12 people
03:00
Holly Evans
A British-educated businesswoman has denied allegations of manufacturing the pagers used in an audacious attack against Hezbollah.
The handheld devices killed at least 12 people and injured 3,000 after they simultaneously detonated across Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday afternoon in a suspected Israeli operation.
The Taiwanese company whose branding was on the technology claimed Budapest-based firm BAC Consultancy made the devices under a three-year brand licensing agreement.
Read the full article here:
Watch: Moment of explosion in Beirut one day after pagers detonate
02:00
Holly Evans
Live view of Israel’s border with Lebanon
01:00
Holly Evans
Read the full story: At least 20 dead as walkie-talkies explode in Lebanon
Thursday 19 September 2024 00:00
Holly Evans
Handheld radios used by Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon on Wednesday in a second wave of deadly blasts as Israel’s defence minister declared his country was entering a “new phase of war” on its northern border.
At least 20 people were killed and 450 injured by the detonations, Lebanon’s health ministry said.
While Israel has not commented, the finger has been pointed at its Mossad spy agency. A senior Lebanese security source and a second source told reporters that Mossad – which has a long history of complex attacks on foreign soil – planted explosives inside the pagers. The claim was mirrored by American officials cited in US media.
Read the full article from chief international correspondent Bel Trew here:
Iran’s UN envoy says they will ‘duly follow up’ on attack on their ambassador
Wednesday 18 September 2024 23:20
Holly Evans
The Iranian ambassador to the UN, in a letter reported by the Iranian state news agency, reiterates that his country blames Israel and accuses it of committing acts of a “terrorist nature”.
Amir Saeid Iravani said: “The Islamic Republic of Iran will duly follow up on the attack against its ambassador in Lebanon, which resulted in his injury, and reserves its rights under international law to take required measures deemed necessary to respond to such a heinous crime and violation.”
He added: “Western countries, especially the United States as a strategic ally, by their unwavering so-called ironclad support for this regime, bear international responsibility” for Israel’s acts.
Benjamin Netanyahu accuses UK of being ‘misguided’ and sending ‘mixed messages’
Wednesday 18 September 2024 23:06
Holly Evans
Israel’s prime minister has accused the British government of sending “mixed messages” and being “misguided” after recently suspending 30 arms licences.
Benjamin Netanyahu said Sir Keir Starmer was “sending a horrible message” to Hamas and said the UK had undermined their claim that his country had a right to defend itself by withdrawing its challenge to the arrest warrants made by the International Criminal Court.
Speaking to the Mail, Mr Netanyahu said: “After the October 7 Hamas massacre, the previous British government was clear in its support. Unfortunately, the current government is sending mixed messages.”
He added: “Just as Britain’s heroic stand against the Nazis is seen today as having been vital in defeating barbarism, so too will history judge Israel’s stand against Hamas and Iran’s axis of terror. Israel will win this war and secure our common future.”
A war with Hezbollah may be looming. Is Israel prepared?
Wednesday 18 September 2024 22:55
Holly Evans
With Israel‘s defense minister announcing a “new phase” of the war and an apparent Israeli attack setting off explosions in electronic devices in Lebanon, the specter of all-out combat between Israel and Hezbollah seems closer than ever before.
Hopes for a diplomatic solution to the conflict appear to be fading quickly as Israel signals a desire to change the status quo in the country’s north, where it has exchanged cross-border fire with Hezbollah since the Lebanese militant group began attacking on Oct. 8, a day after the war’s opening salvo by Hamas.
In recent days, Israel has moved a powerful fighting force up to the northern border, officials have escalated their rhetoric, and the country’s security Cabinet has designated the return of tens of thousands of displaced residents to their homes in northern Israel an official war goal.
Here’s a look at how Israel is preparing for a war with Lebanon:
Read the full article here:
Flowers left at the Lebanese embassy in Tehran
Wednesday 18 September 2024 22:34
Holly Evans
Tributes have been left at the gate of Lebanon’s embassy in Iran’s capital Tehran, with a growing pile of flowers visible and children seen lighting candles.
Who are Hezbollah?
Wednesday 18 September 2024 22:20
Holly Evans
Founded in 1982 during Lebanon’s civil war, Hezbollah’s initial objective was ending Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon. It achieved that in 2000.
Shiite Muslim Hezbollah is part of a collection of Iranian-backed factions and governments known as the Axis of Resistance. It was the first group that Iran backed and used as a way to export its brand of political Islamism.
In its early days the group attacked US targets, causing Washington to designate it as a terrorist organisation.
Hezbollah fighters ambushed an Israeli patrol in 2006 and took two Israeli soldiers hostage. Hezbollah and Israel fought a monthlong war that ended in a draw but Israeli bombardment wreaked widespread destruction in southern Lebanon.
Israel’s objective was eliminating Hezbollah but the Lebanese group came out stronger and became a key military and political power on Israel’s northern border.
Domestic opponents have criticized Hezbollah for maintaining its arsenal and for coming to dominate the government.
Their military capabilities have also surged, and it has played a key role in the Syrian civil war, keeping President Bashar al-Assad in power. And it has helped train Iran-backed militias in Syria and Iraq, as well as Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Death toll rises to 20 after Wednesday explosions
Wednesday 18 September 2024 21:57
Holly Evans
The Lebanese health ministry has announced an six additional deaths from Wednesday’s explosions, which saw hand-held walkie-talkie devices explode across the country.
The latest death toll is now 20 with more than 450 people injured.
All-out war with Israel could devastate Lebanon
Wednesday 18 September 2024 21:53
Holly Evans
A full-blown war with Israel could devastate Lebanon, which has lurched from one crisis to another, including a 2019 financial collapse and the 2020 Beirut port blast.
Rising tensions may also complicate so far unsuccessful efforts by mediators Egypt, Qatar and the U.S. to negotiate a Gaza ceasefire between Israel and militant group Hamas, a Hezbollah ally also backed by Iran.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Wednesday it was too soon to assess the impact of the blasts on ceasefire talks. Hezbollah, Iran’s most powerful proxy in the Middle East, said in a statement it would continue to support Hamas in Gaza and Israel should await a response to the pager “massacre.”
A Hamas delegation visited people wounded in the blasts in Lebanese hospitals on Wednesday, Lebanese state news agency NNA said.
UN secretary general says he is ‘deeply armed’ by incident
Wednesday 18 September 2024 21:21
Holly Evans
The UN secretary general António Guterres has issued a statement after two days of explosions in Lebanon has seen several killed and thousands injured.
He wrote on social media site X: “I’m deeply alarmed by reports that a large number of communication devices exploded across Lebanon & Syria, killing at least 11 people, including children, and injuring thousands.
“All actors must exercise maximum restraint to avert any further escalation.”
I’m deeply alarmed by reports that a large number of communication devices exploded across Lebanon & Syria, killing at least 11 people, including children, and injuring thousands.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) September 18, 2024
All actors must exercise maximum restraint to avert any further escalation.
Taiwanese company Gold Apollo denies making pagers used in Lebanon attack
Wednesday 18 September 2024 21:00
Holly Evans
Taiwanese electronics maker Gold Apollo has denied producing the pagers used in Tuesday’s deadly attack in Lebanon, which killed at least nine people and injured nearly 3,000.
Gold Apollo founder and president Hsu Ching-Kuang said the devices were manufactured by BAC Consulting, a company based in Budapest, Hungary, licensed to use the Taiwanese brand.
“The product was not ours. It was only that it had our brand on it,” Mr Hsu said.
Read the full article here:
Joe Biden to discuss war in Gaze during meeting with UAE president
Wednesday 18 September 2024 20:57
Holly Evans
Joe Biden will welcome United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to the White House on Monday for talks on issues ranging from the war in Gaza, Sudan and responsible artificial intelligence development.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said the visit would be the first-ever by a president of the Gulf Arab country to Washington, adding that Vice President Kamala Harris would meet separately with the UAE leader.
Discussions would also focus on climate, clean energy and UAE’s role as a partner in the Group of Seven’s global infrastructure partnership, Kirby told reporters.
US not involved “in any way” in Lebanon detonations, says White House
Wednesday 18 September 2024 20:53
Holly Evans
The US remains involved in intensive diplomatic efforts to prevent an escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby has said.
“We want to see the war end, and everything we’ve been doing since the beginning has been designed to prevent the conflict from escalating,” he told reporters.
He added that the US was not involved “in any way” in the wave of explosions on either Tuesday or Wednesday.
What has boobytrapping Hezbollah’s pagers actually achieved?
Wednesday 18 September 2024 20:30
Holly Evans
As a global propaganda coup for the Israeli security services, the pager attacks on Hezbollah members in Lebanon could scarcely be surpassed.
What kind of a mind, one wonders, dreams up such a macabre lark as this, an “exploding cigar” practical joke on a grand scale?
The sheer audacity of it was very much in the Israeli tradition, and it made some points rather forcefully. It proved that the Israelis could intercept Hezbollah supply lines, and with such ease that they could find the time to fit a few grams of military-grade explosives to each device, disguised as an electronic component.
Read the full article here:
Frontline workers treat patients with missing eyes and fingers
Wednesday 18 September 2024 20:10
Holly Evans
Frontline workers described hellish scenes: victims of thousands of small explosions linked to pagers used by Hezbollah rushed into hospitals, some with organs protruding, others with missing eyes or fingers.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called for an independent investigation into the events surrounding exploding pagers.
The United Nations Security Council will meet on Friday over the pager blasts after a request from Algeria on behalf of Arab states, said Slovenia’s UN Ambassador Samuel Zbogar, president of the 15-member council for September.
Walkie-talkies reportedly have Japanese company label
Wednesday 18 September 2024 19:50
Holly Evans
Images of the exploded walkie-talkies examined by Reuters showed an inside panel labelled “ICOM” and “made in Japan.”
According to its website, ICOM is a Japan-based radio communications and telephone company.
The company has said that production of several models of the ICOM hand-held radio have been discontinued, including the IC-V82, which appeared to closely match those in images from Lebanon on Wednesday and which was phased out in 2014.
There was no immediate reply from ICOM to a request for comment on Wednesday.
Watch: Moment of explosion in Beirut one day after pagers detonate
Wednesday 18 September 2024 19:33
Holly Evans
Full statement from Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant
Wednesday 18 September 2024 19:18
Holly Evans
During a visit to the Ramat David base on Wednesday, Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant told Israeli troops that the IDF were allocating more resources to the northern border with Lebanon.
He said: “The ‘center of gravity’ is moving north, meaning that we are allocating forces, resources and energy for the northern arena. We have not forgotten the hostages and we have not forgotten our missions in the south – we are committed to our duties, and we are carrying them out simultaneously.
“Operations are carried out by all the security organizations and our task is clear – ensuring the safe return of Israel’s northern residents to their homes.”
“If we look at the current picture - the IDF has made excellent achievements, together with the ISA and the Mossad – the results of their work are impressive. We know how important it is at this time to carry out our activities in close cooperation.
“We are fully coordinated and united in our determination to achieve our goals: the Prime Minister, the IDF Chief of the General Staff, ISA Director, Mossad Director and Minister of Defense. Everything they represent, everything is dedicated to a single goal – the return of the residents [of the north to their homes].”
“I believe that we are at the start of a new phase in the war and we must adapt. This is true for everyone, certainly for those who are in the air or controlling what happens in the air – because the position here is stronger – it’s not Hamas. This is something else and we need to prepare for this accordingly and take it into account.”
“We must remain consistent over time – this war requires great courage, determination and perseverance. Thank you for everything you do. We are going to complete our missions on all fronts. You have the duty, but also the privilege to take a part in this effort.”
Death toll rises to 14 people after Wednesday’s explosions
Wednesday 18 September 2024 18:58
Holly Evans
The death toll of those killed by a second day of explosions in Lebanon has risen to 14 people, with more than 450 people injured, the health ministry has said.
On Wednesday afternoon, hand-held walkie-talkie devices exploded just one day after thousands of pagers belonging to Hezbollah members detonated.
Security source says hand-held radios were bought five months ago
Wednesday 18 September 2024 18:43
Holly Evans
The hand-held radios were purchased by Hezbollah five months ago, around the same time that the pagers were bought, said a security source.
Israel’s spy agency Mossad, which has a long history of sophisticated operations on foreign soil, planted explosives inside pagers imported by Hezbollah months before Tuesday’s detonations, a senior Lebanese security source and another source told Reuters.
Israel’s military has declined to comment on the blasts.
Israel’s Netanyahu vows to return their citizens to the north
Wednesday 18 September 2024 18:29
Holly Evans
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Wednesday to return tens of thousands of residents evacuated from northern border areas to their homes, amid mounting tensions with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.
In a brief video statement, Netanyahu made no mention of the operation that detonated thousands of pagers and hand-held radio devices used by operatives of Hezbollah, which has blamed the attack on Israel.
“I have said it before, we will return to the citizens of the north to their homes in security and that’s exactly what we are going to do,” he said in a brief video statement, giving no further details.
נחזיר את תושבי הצפון בביטחה לבתיהם. pic.twitter.com/3Zc22pS6C4
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) September 18, 2024
Israel’s defence minister says focus is shifting to the north
Wednesday 18 September 2024 18:10
Holly Evans
Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, has declared the start of a “new phase” of the war with a focus shifting to the northern border with Lebanon.
In a speech to Israeli troops on Wednesday, he avoided specifically mentioning the detonations in Lebanon but praised work of Israel’s army and security agencies.
“The center of gravity is moving north. We are diverting forces, resources, and energy toward the north,” Gallant said, according to the Times of Israel.
“I believe that we are at the onset of a new phase in this war, and we need to adapt. We will need consistency over time, this war requires great courage, determination, and perseverance.”
Who uses pagers?
Wednesday 18 September 2024 17:59
Holly Evans
As mobile phones became the world’s main communications tool, pagers were largely rendered obsolete, with demand plunging from their 1990s heyday.
But the tiny electronic devices remain a vital means of communication in some areas - such as healthcare and emergency services - thanks to their durability and long battery life.
“It’s the cheapest and most efficient way to communicate to a large number of people about messages that don’t need responses,” said a senior surgeon at a major UK hospital, adding that pagers are commonly used by doctors and nurses across the country’s National Health Service (NHS).
“It’s used to tell people where to go, when, and what for.”
The UK’s NHS was using around 130,000 pagers in 2019, more than one in 10 of the world’s pagers, according to the government. Britain’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) also uses pagers to alert its crews, a source familiar with the lifeboat service told Reuters.
Iran condemns attacks in Lebanon and offers support
Wednesday 18 September 2024 17:46
Holly Evans
Iran condemned attacks in Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday that involved exploding communications devices, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said in a post on X.
Hand-held radios used by Hezbollah detonated on Wednesday killing nine people and injuring more than 100, further stoking tensions with Israel a day after similar explosions launched via the group’s pagers which caused 12 fatalities.
“The terrorism of the Zionist regime causes aversion and disgust. Iran strongly condemns yesterday’s criminal explosion of communication devices and today’s criminal explosion of walkie-talkies, which resulted in the death and injury of hundreds of Lebanese civilians,” Mohajerani said.
Earlier in the day, according to state media, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian had said: “The incident in Lebanon shows once again that Western countries and the United States, despite claiming to seek a ceasefire, fully support the crimes, massacres and blind terrorism of the Zionist regime in practice.”
Watch live from Beirut as more explosions heard in Lebanon one day after pagers detonate
Wednesday 18 September 2024 17:43
Holly Evans
Germany puts export of weapons to Israel on hold
Wednesday 18 September 2024 17:37
Holly Evans
Germany has put a hold on new exports of weapons of war to Israel while it deals with legal challenges, source close to the Economy Ministry has said.
Last year, Germany approved arms exports to Israel worth 326.5 million euros ($363.5 million), including military equipment and war weapons, a 10-fold increase from 2022.
However approvals have dropped this year, with only 14.5 million euros’ worth granted from January to Aug. 21. Of this, the “weapons of war” category accounted for only 32,449 euros.
A source close to the ministry cited a senior government official as saying it had stopped work on approving export licences for arms to Israel pending a resolution of legal cases arguing that such exports from Germany breached humanitarian law.
The ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
Images online appear to show exploded walkie-talkies
Wednesday 18 September 2024 17:30
Holly Evans
Images circulating online reportedly show the hand-held walkie-talkies that have killed nine people and injured 300 others in Lebanon when they exploded on Wednesday afternoon.
The Independent has not been able to independently verify these images.
United Nations Security Council to meet on Friday
Wednesday 18 September 2024 17:27
Holly Evans
The United Nations Security Council will meet on Friday over the pager blasts in Lebanon targeting militant group Hezbollah, said Slovenia’s UN Ambassador Samuel Zbogar.
The meeting was requested by Algeria on behalf of Arab states, he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the pager blasts targeting Hezbollah indicate “a serious risk of a dramatic escalation in Lebanon and everything must be done to avoid that escalation.”
“Obviously the logic of making all these devices explode is to do it as a pre-emptive strike before a major military operation,” he told reporters ahead of the annual gathering of world leaders at the UN General Assembly .
Guterres “urges all concerned actors to exercise maximum restraint to avert any further escalation,” his spokesman Stephane Dujarric later said in a statement.
Breaking: Israel declares ‘new phase’ of war
Wednesday 18 September 2024 17:25
Holly Evans
The Israeli defense minister has declared the start of “new phase” of war as army turns attention to northern front with Lebanon.
Photo shows car with smashed window after radio detonates
Wednesday 18 September 2024 17:14
Holly Evans
UN chief says explosions are a ‘serious risk of dramatic escalation’
Wednesday 18 September 2024 17:11
Holly Evans
The UN’s secretary general told a briefing on Wednesday that it was “very important” that civilian objects should not be weaponised after 12 people were killed in Lebanon on Tuesday.
António Guterres held a briefing before news of the latest wave of device blasts on Wednesday that officials say has killed at least nine people and wounded more than 300.
He said the explosions on Tuesday confirmed “a serious risk of a dramatic escalation in Lebanon”, and warned that “everything must be done” to avoid the escalation.
He added: “What has happened is particularly serious, not only because of the number of victims that it caused, but because of the indications that exist that this was triggered, I would say, in advance of a normal way to trigger these things, because there was a risk of this being discovered.”
Breaking: Nine people killed and at least 300 hundred injured
Wednesday 18 September 2024 17:02
Holly Evans
Nine people were killed and at least three hundred injured as a result of the explosions targeting walkie-talkies across Lebanon on Wednesday afternoon, Lebanon’s health ministry said.
The ministry added that first responders had almost finished transferring people to hospitals.
It follows the deaths of 12 people who were killed in yesterday’s detonations which saw nearly 3,000 people injured.
Antony Blinken expresses frustrations at actions that re-rail ceasefire talks
Wednesday 18 September 2024 16:49
Holly Evans
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed frustration at surprise escalations that threaten to derail efforts to broker a cease-fire deal in Gaza.
He added that the United States is continuing to assess the deadly attack that caused pagers used by Hezbollah to explode in Lebanon.
While Israel has not publicly spoken on responsibility in the pager attack, a US official has said Israel briefed the United States after the explosions.
The United States, Egypt and other international partners are working for an agreement between Israel and Hamas to halt nearly a year of war in Gaza and release hostages held by the militant group.
“Time and again” when the US and other mediators believe they are making progress on a cease-fire deal in Gaza, “we’ve seen an event that ... threatens to slow it, stop it, derail it,” Blinken said in response to a question about the previous day’s explosions in Lebanon.
Lebanese Red Cross say 30 ambulance teams responding to explosions
Wednesday 18 September 2024 16:38
Holly Evans
The Lebanese Red Cross has said about 30 ambulance teams have been deployed and are on “high alert and ready to intervene”.
They said its teams are responding to “multiple explosions in different areas”, including in the country’s south and east.
British-educated businesswoman denies making Hezbollah explosive pagers which killed at least 12 people
Wednesday 18 September 2024 16:36
Holly Evans
A British-educated businesswoman has denied allegations of manufacturing the pagers used in an audacious attack against Hezbollah.
The handheld devices killed at least 12 people and injured 3,000 after they simultaneously detonated across Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday afternoon in a suspected Israeli operation.
The Taiwanese company whose branding was on the technology claimed Budapest-based firm BAC Consultancy made the devices under a three-year brand licensing agreement.
Read the full article here:
Home solar energy systems also explode in Beirut, says state media
Wednesday 18 September 2024 16:32
Holly Evans
Lebanon’s official news agency reports that home solar energy systems exploded in several areas of Beirut and were responsible for some of the blasts.
It has been reported that more than 100 people have been wounded after a second wave of explosions, with the majority suffering wounds to their hands and stomachs.
More than 100 wounded in latest wave of blasts, says health ministry
Wednesday 18 September 2024 16:20
Holly Evans
More than 100 have been wounded in the latest wave of walkie-talkie blasts in Lebanon, the health ministry says, as quoted by the AFP news agency.
Journalist recounts people ‘covered in blood’ after Wednesday detonations
Wednesday 18 September 2024 16:09
Holly Evans
A Sky News correspondent who was at the scene of the funeral, where a hand-held device reportedly detonated on Wednesday, said that panic broke out among mourners.
Alex Crawford said: “We came out to try and found out what the sound was and people were running. People were covered in blood.
“There was blood on a car.
“One young man was running and he was very stressed. He said a walkie-talkie - which the Hezbollah security people around here are using for the funeral - exploded.
“The Hezbollah people then gathered up all the walkie-talkies and have been taking the batteries out of them.”
