- A day after pagers used by Hezbollah members to communicate exploded across Lebanon, hand-held radios used by the group exploded in Beirut's southern suburbs, the Bekaa Valley, and the country's south on Wednesday, killing at least 14 people and injuring 450, according to Lebanon's health ministry.[1][2]
- Though the details of the attacks are still unclear, Axios reported on Tuesday that Israel told the US it carried out the pager attack out of concern Hezbollah had become aware of the booby-trapped devices. The initial attack killed 12 people, including two children, and nearly 3K. Israel's military hasn't issued a statement on the explosions.[1][3]
- Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Tuesday that a "new phase" of the war had begun, praising the work of Israel’s army and security agencies. Gallant didn't comment on the attacks in Lebanon but said, "The results are very impressive." Gallant added that Israel's focus was shifting north.[4]
- The head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, Hashem Safieddine, said that the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, would speak about the attacks on Thursday and vowed that Israel would be "uniquely punished." He added that the group was "not beaten" and would "not break."[5]
- US Sec. of State Antony Blinken indicated during his 10th visit to the region since the war began that the attacks in Lebanon could "derail" Gaza cease-fire negotiations that are underway in Egypt. Egypt's foreign minister said that the attack "doesn’t only hinder the current talks, but also risks getting into a full-scale war."[6]
- Concurrently, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted on Wednesday in favor of a resolution that called for Israel to withdraw from Palestinian territories. The resolution also urged member states to stop importing products originating in Israeli settlements and to suspend arms sales to Israel.[7]
