High-tech war: Thousands of Hezbollah walkie-talkies explode across Lebanon day after pagers blew up, claiming lives (videos)
Hand-held radio communications were rocked by explosions across Beirut, Lebanon on Wednesday, a day after pagers used by Hezbollah in the city were rocked by simultaneous explosions.
Walkie-talkies exploded in hundreds of locations where they were being held, injuring and killing at least 12 people and injuring many others.
It is believed that Israel is behind the high-tech war as they target the devices used by Hezbollah fighters, even though some civilians have been reported to have died in the explosions.
In some cases, Hezbollah operatives were standing with family members, or in a busy mall and other busy locations when their devices exploded.
About 20 people reportedly died in the second wave of device targeting executed on Wednesday, while more than 450 people were wounded, according to the Health Ministry.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant who addressed Israeli troops on Wednesday, said, “We are at the start of a new phase in the war — it requires courage, determination and perseverance.”
He made no reference to the Hezbollah devices exploding but praised the work of Israel’s army and security agencies, saying “the results are very impressive.”
Eye-witnesses said several devices exploded at a funeral in Beirut held for three Hezbollah members and a child killed by exploding pagers the day before,
It was reported that at least 12 people were killed while some 2,800 others were injured in the first phase of device targeting on Tuesday.
Concerns were being raised about this new development especially as it impacted the civilian population.
At least two health workers were among those killed in Tuesday explosions. Some professionals such as health and charity workers work for Hezbollah-linked organizations, and some of them used pagers.
Experts are also condemning weaponising objects used by civilians, citing international law.
United Nations human rights chief, Volker Türk, has called for an independent investigation into the mass explosions.
It has also been reported that the U.N. Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting on the explosions in Lebanon on Friday afternoon at the request of Algeria, the Arab representative on the 15-member body.
Hezbollah, Lebanon’s strongest armed force, has been at war with Israel since Oct. 8, the day after a deadly Hamas-led assault in southern Israel triggered the war in Gaza.
Hezbollah is fighting Israel in solidarity with its ally, Hamas.
Watch clips capturing the explosion of radio gadgets in an apartment in Beirut here
