Explosions witnessed at Beirut funeral for Hezbollah members and a child killed in pager attack


Explosions witnessed at Beirut funeral for Hezbollah members and a child killed in pager attack

7:34 PM GMT+5, September 18, 2024 Multiple explosions occurred Wednesday at the site of a funeral for three Hezbollah members and a child killed by exploding pagers the day before, according to Associated Press journalists at the scene. Hezbollah’s Al Manar TV reported explosions in multiple areas of Lebanon, which it said were the result of walkie-talkies detonating. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The pagers used by Hezbollah that exploded in an apparent Israeli attack were made by a company based in Hungary, another firm said Wednesday as details of the mysterious operation began to emerge. The attack heightened the simmering conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that risks escalating into all-out war. Pagers used by the militant group exploded nearly simultaneously a day earlier in Lebanon and Syria, killing at least 12 people, including two children, and wounding around 2,800. Hezbollah and the Lebanese government blamed Israel. An American official said Israel briefed the United States after the attack, in which small amounts of explosive hidden in pagers were detonated. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the information publicly. The sophisticated attack renewed fears that the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza could spill into a wider regional conflict. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday the U.S. is still assessing how the attack could affect efforts to negotiate a Gaza cease-fire. Hezbollah and Israeli forces have exchanged fire almost daily since Oct. 8, the day after a deadly Hamas-led assault in southern Israel triggered the war. Since then, hundreds have been killed in the strikes in Lebanon and dozens in Israel, while tens of thousands on each side of the border have been displaced. Hamas and Hezbollah are allies and both are supported by Iran. Despite periodic cycles of escalation, Hezbollah and Israel have carefully avoided an all-out war, but Israeli leaders have issued a series of warnings in recent weeks that they might increase operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.