After Pager, Lebanese Talkie Guncang Explosion: Part Of Israeli Operations In The Northern Region?

JAKARTA - The death toll from the walkie-talkie explosion that rocked Lebanon increased to 20, a day after the explosion of the pager that killed about 12 people, while Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant whose country was accused of being behind the two incidents said they were opening up a new chapter in the war.

The mobile walki-talkie radio used by the Hezbollah armed group exploded on Wednesday in southern Lebanon, the country's deadliest day since cross-border fighting erupted between militants and Israel nearly a year ago, sparking tension after a similar explosion on the group's pager the day before.

Lebanese health ministry said 20 people were killed and more than 450 injured on Wednesday on the outskirts of Beirut and Bekaa Valley, while the death toll from Tuesday's explosion rose to 12 people, including two children, with nearly 3,000 injured.

Israeli officials have not commented on the explosion, but security sources say Israel's spy agency Mossad is responsible. A Hezbollah official said the episode was the biggest security breach in the group's history.

The operation, which appears to have caused Hezbollah chaos, coincided with Israel's 11-month war in Gaza and raised concerns about escalation on the Lebanese border and the risk of a large regional war.

"We are opening up a new chapter in the war. This requires our courage, determination, and perseverance," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told Israeli troops at Ramat David Air Base in the northern region, quoted from The Times of Israel.

Late Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Gallant, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and other officials issued a statement that appeared to indicate a full war with Hezbollah was taking place, hours after a wave of walkie-talkie explosions and other communications devices used by Hezbollah members throughout Lebanon.

"The center of gravity is moving north. We are diverting strength, resources, and energy to the north," Defense Minister Gallant said in a statement published by his office.

Defense Minister Gallant - who is widely reportedly going to be sacked by PM Netanyahu - said Israel's war destinations in the north were "clear and simple: returning residents of northern cities to their homes safely."

"We do not forget the hostages and we do not forget our duties in the south. This is our duty and we are carrying it out at the same time," said Defense Minister Gallant.

The exploding walkie-talkie images show labels with "ICOM" and "Japanese-made." According to its website, ICOM, which did not immediately reply to a request for comment, is a Japanese-based radio and telephone communication company.

The company said production of the IC-V82 model, which looks like a model in the image, had been discontinued in 2014.

The handheld radio was purchased by Hezbollah five months ago, about the same time as the pager, said a security source.

Israel has not publicly commented on the blast wave of pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon.

In a very short video statement on Wednesday, Netanyahu stated: "I have said, we will safely return residents in the north to their homes, and that is what we will do."

Meanwhile, military officials also indicated IDF efforts would soon be focused on Israel's northern border.

During a visit to North Command on Wednesday, Lt. Gen. Halevi warned Israel had "more capabilities" that had not been used in the fight against Hezbollah.

"We are very determined to create security conditions that will bring people (utara) back to their homes, to cities, with a high level of security, and we are ready to do whatever is necessary to allow this," Lieutenant General Halevi said in a video released by the IDF.

The IDF also announced on Wednesday that it was deploying Division 98 back to northern Israel, after months of operation in the Gaza Strip under Southern Command.

Separately, the United States, which denied involvement in the blast, said it was conducting intensive diplomacy to prevent an escalation of the conflict.

Lebanon, which borders Israel, carried out cross-border attacks from its southern region to the northern region of Israel, in line with the outbreak of the conflict in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.