Israel Second wave of explosions shocks Lebanon

According to the authorities, more than 450 people have been injured in Lebanon in renewed explosions of numerous electronic devices. In addition, 14 others were killed. As on the previous day, many members of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah were hit, according to Lebanese security sources.

Hundreds of pagers, which people were carrying in their trouser pockets, had already exploded simultaneously in several places in Lebanon on Tuesday. Around 2,800 people were injured and at least 12 died. Hezbollah blamed Israel for Tuesday's attack and vowed retaliation. Israel itself did not comment on this. Israel also initially did not comment on Wednesday's explosions.

In view of the situation, the UN Security Council intends to convene for an emergency meeting. According to diplomatic circles, the most powerful body of the United Nations is to meet on Friday at 21:00 CEST.

Israel's Defense Minister Joav Galant announced a "new phase" of the war with a focus on the north.

Renewed explosions during funeral ceremonies

The second wave of explosions ripped through Lebanon in the late afternoon. While funerals for victims from the previous day were being held in the southern Beirut suburb, the new explosions were reported. Hezbollah circles said that "wireless devices such as walkie-talkies" had exploded.

Videos on social media showed panic spreading during the funeral ceremony after bangs were heard. Senior Hezbollah official Hashim Safieddine said in response to the exploded pagers from the previous day: "This aggression has its own punishment and retribution, and the punishment will come." Hezbollah had already announced retaliation beforehand. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah will address the public on Thursday.

Many houses and cars damaged

Sounds of explosions were also heard in the port city of Tyre in the south of the country, according to local reports. Numerous ambulances were deployed. Local media also reported explosions in Sidon and other places in the south of the country. The Lebanese Civil Defense said its teams were working in the south and east of the country and in the southern suburbs of Beirut to extinguish fires in cars, stores and other buildings. These areas are mainly controlled by Hezbollah.

The Lebanese government had previously declared that it was preparing for a possible major Israeli attack. According to the Lebanese news agency NNA, the head of the government's emergency committee, Nasser Yassin, said: "We have presented possible scenarios in the event of widespread Israeli attacks." The Ministry of Education had presented a list of around 100 schools that could serve as emergency shelters. According to government information, food reserves in Lebanon are sufficient for more than three months.

UN Secretary-General sees indications of "dramatic escalation"

In view of the explosions, UN Secretary-General António Guterres sees indications of a massive imminent escalation in the Middle East. "The logic behind exploding all these devices is, of course, to do so as a pre-emptive strike before a major military operation," said Guterres in New York.

There is a "serious risk of a dramatic escalation", Guterres continued. Everything must be done to prevent this, he said. Guterres spoke at a press conference and referred to the explosions on Tuesday - news of the new detonations came in during the event.

The UN Human Rights Office had already condemned the first attack, presumably coordinated by Israel, as "shocking" at the time. It violated international human rights standards to carry out an attack on thousands of people simultaneously without knowing who was carrying the device at the time of the attack, or where and in what environment the person was. It could also be a violation of international humanitarian law. Only courts can definitively determine whether an act violates international humanitarian law.

Mutual shelling at the border continues

In recent months, there have been repeated fears that the shelling between Hezbollah and the Israeli military, which has been going on for months, could turn into a second, major theater of war alongside the Gaza war. Since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Islamist Hamas almost a year ago, there have also been military confrontations between Israel and Hezbollah on an almost daily basis. Even before the explosions in Lebanon, the situation had escalated significantly.

On Wednesday, there was again mutual shelling. According to its own statements, Hezbollah is acting in solidarity with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israel's army announced that more than 30 shells had been fired from Lebanon towards Israel. There were initially no reports of casualties. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for several attacks on Israeli targets. The Lebanese state agency NNA reported several Israeli attacks on locations in southern Lebanon.

Israel's Defense Minister Joav Galant has already announced a "new phase" of the war. The focus is on the front in the north, where the army is fighting battles with Hezbollah, several media reported, citing Galant's office. Forces and resources were to be shifted to the north, Israeli media quoted Galant as saying. He had recalled Israel's recently defined war goal: the return of fleeing citizens to the border area.