New wave of attacks

Lebanon now fears a major wave of Israeli attacks

Lebanon is in a state of emergency following the pager attack.

(Bild: AFP/ANWAR AMRO)

There is now a sense of alarm in Lebanon: following the pager attack presumably coordinated by Israel, there have been numerous explosions again. Electronic devices such as pagers and radios were blown up again.

Fears of a major wave of attacks were already spreading in Beirut. The devices that exploded on Wednesday are once again likely to be radio receivers such as pagers, walkie-talkies and radios belonging to the terrorist group Hezbollah, as confirmed by the Shia militia.

Videos and images on social networks suggest that this is a large-scale operation. The Lebanese Ministry of Health has so far counted nine dead and 300 injured, but the full extent of the new wave of attacks cannot yet be estimated.

Replacement devices have now exploded
The well-connected journalist Barak Ravid reported that the devices that have now exploded were already part of the emergency communications. He referred to two anonymous sources. The south of Lebanon and suburbs of the capital Beirut are particularly affected. A Lebanese news agency also reported that solar energy systems had also exploded in several areas. This cannot be verified.

At least one detonation took place during a funeral service in Beirut. Hezbollah members who fell victim to the first attack were mourned here:

Part of the same order?
The walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah were bought by the terror group about five months ago, around the same time as the pagers that exploded on Tuesday. This was reported by the Reuters news agency, citing a security source. Eyewitnesses in a southern suburb of Beirut said: "We hear the same noises as yesterday." The replacement devices that have now exploded are also said to have been packed with explosives.

On Wednesday, the head of the government's emergency committee, Nasser Yassin, told the Lebanese news agency NNA: "We have presented possible scenarios in the event of widespread Israeli attacks." Preparations are being made for a major attack. He was apparently unaware that a new wave was already rolling in. However, many hospitals have been completely overcrowded since Tuesday.

Hezbollah blamed Israel for the explosions of the radio receivers and announced retaliation. Shortly before the new wave of explosions, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian described the action as a "disgrace" to the West. Israel has not yet publicly claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Pagers were already completely shredded on Tuesday.

(Bild: AFP)

Around 2,800 people were injured and several killed in the pager explosions in Lebanon on Tuesday, with hundreds still in mortal danger. Many Hezbollah members lost limbs or were wounded in the pelvic, abdominal and genital areas due to the way the radio receivers were carried.

Among the injured were also numerous civilians - including children. Iran's ambassador also lost an eye.

What could happen next?
Political and military observers saw the first coordinated attack as part of a larger plan. At the moment, experts are certain that the exploding radio receivers have paralyzed sensitive parts of communication. This would prepare the ground for a large-scale attack or an invasion of Lebanon. Wednesday's new wave feeds this assumption.

Israel's Defense Minister Joav Gallant gave a speech to air force troops on Wednesday. He stated that the war was entering "a new phase", without explicitly mentioning the attacks in Lebanon. The focus of the Middle East conflict would shift away from the Gaza Strip towards the north.

This new phase would require "courage, determination and perseverance" and would be part of efforts to allow Israelis who have fled to return to their homes in the north. Since the Hamas massacre in October and the start of the Gaza war, there have been almost daily rocket attacks by Hezbollah in the Lebanese-Israeli border area.

Gallant also praised the work of the Israeli army and security authorities. His analysis: "The results are very impressive." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu published a short video clip after the new wave of attacks. His message was the same: Israel's priorities are now increasingly in the north.