New Wave of Explosions in Lebanon; At Least 14 Killed and 450 Injured Due to Hezbollah's Radios Exploding

Reuters reported on Wednesday about new explosions related to the radios used by Hezbollah members. This comes as news and information regarding the explosion of thousands of Hezbollah pagers on Tuesday continues to rise. On Wednesday, September 28, Reuters reported that one day after the explosion of thousands of pagers belonging to Hezbollah affiliates in Lebanon, handheld radios used by Hezbollah members in southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut exploded. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least 14 people were killed and 450 others injured in these explosions. Meanwhile, the death toll from the pager explosions on Tuesday had reached 12, with the number of injured exceeding 3,000. Earlier, Lebanon's state news agency reported that three people were killed and dozens injured in the latest explosion of radios in the Bekaa region of Lebanon. According to this report, at least one of the explosions occurred near the site of a funeral for the victims from the previous day, which was organized by Hezbollah. The simultaneous explosion of thousands of pagers belonging to Hezbollah on Tuesday, which is said to have resulted from a cyberattack, has left at least 12 dead and thousands injured. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of the risk of escalating tensions in the Middle East one day after the explosion of Hezbollah's pagers. In response to a question about these explosions, Blinken emphasized that the United States is still gathering and assessing information, stating that the expansion of conflict benefits no one. Blinken, speaking at a press conference alongside his Egyptian counterpart on Wednesday, September 28, stressed the need for all parties to refrain from 'any actions that could escalate the conflict.' Reuters reported on Wednesday, September 28, citing informed sources, that the Israeli intelligence and special operations agency, Mossad, had planted small amounts of explosives inside 5,000 Taiwanese-made pagers that Hezbollah had ordered months before the explosions on Tuesday. Thousands of pagers exploded simultaneously in various regions of Lebanon, especially in southern Beirut and southern Lebanon, two areas heavily influenced by Hezbollah, resulting in about 3,000 injuries. Lebanese officials and the two militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas, along with their supporter, the Islamic Republic, have pointed the finger at Israel. However, Israel has not yet claimed responsibility for these explosions. Earlier, the New York Times reported, citing unnamed officials, that the pagers ordered by Hezbollah from the 'Gold Apollo' company in Taiwan had been tampered with before reaching Lebanon. According to this report, two of these officials stated that explosives weighing one to two ounces (28 to 56 grams) were embedded alongside the pager batteries, and a switch for remotely activating the explosives was also installed. According to sources from the newspaper, the pagers received a message at 3:30 PM on Tuesday that appeared to be sent by Hezbollah's leadership but was actually a message to activate the explosives inside the pagers. The New York Times emphasized that American officials and other informed officials spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the operation. Some of these officials stated that more than 3,000 pagers were ordered from Gold Apollo, and after delivery, Hezbollah distributed them among its members in Lebanon, with some also reaching Hezbollah's allies in Iran and Syria. Faras Abid, Lebanon's Minister of Health, stated on Wednesday, September 28, that the number of deaths from the pager explosions in the country had increased to 12. Reports indicate that the condition of 200 of the injured is 'critical.' Many of the dead and injured are members of the Hezbollah militant group, which is supported by the Islamic Republic. Mikko Hypponen, a research specialist at the cybersecurity firm WithSecure and a consultant for Europol's cybercrime unit, stated, 'The pagers were likely modified in a way to cause these types of explosions; the size and power of the explosion indicate it was not just the battery.' The Associated Press also reported on Tuesday that the exploded pagers had been recently purchased following Hassan Nasrallah's directive to Hezbollah members to stop using their mobile phones. Hassan Nasrallah had warned that Hezbollah members' mobile phones could be tracked by Israeli intelligence. Meanwhile, a senior Lebanese security source claimed that the Israeli Mossad had embedded explosives inside 5,000 pagers. According to this Lebanese security source, when an encoded message was sent to the pagers, 3,000 pagers exploded simultaneously, activating the explosives inside them. Meanwhile, the United States on Tuesday, following the explosion of thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah members, urged the Islamic Republic to refrain from actions that would lead to 'further instability' and 'increased tensions.' Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, told reporters, 'We urge the Islamic Republic of Iran not to exploit any incident to create further instability and increase tensions in the region.' Mr. Miller added that the U.S. had 'no involvement' in the pager explosions in Lebanon and was not aware of the situation beforehand. According to CNN, he referred to the explosions as an 'incident' rather than an 'attack' and noted that the U.S. is gathering information on the matter. Hezbollah Lebanon was established in 1982 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Several countries, including the United States, Israel, Germany, Serbia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Australia, have recognized the group as a terrorist organization. Recognizing Hezbollah as a terrorist organization means not distinguishing between its political and military branches and labeling both as terrorist entities.