After the bomb chaos - now Israel is threatening new attacks

 

Israel
After the bomb chaos - now Israel is threatening new attacks

John Edgar

Updated 00.07 | Published 00.06

First, the pagers exploded.

Then walkie-talkies.

- Tomorrow it might be cigarette lighters, says a witness to the mass panic that is paralyzing Lebanon.

Israel now threatens with "plans that have not yet been activated".

Quick version

• Explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies have paralyzed Lebanon, creating panic and mass flight. At least 14 people died and 450 were injured in the attacks.
• Israel has threatened further action against Hezbollah and is preparing plans to raise the cost of their operations. Army Chief Halevi says capabilities that have not yet been activated are ready.
• Witnesses and local media are reporting explosions of solar panels and other electronic items, creating further concern. Israel has not yet officially claimed responsibility for the attacks, but has shifted its military focus to Lebanon.

Two Hezbollah militiamen, an ambulance paramedic and a child were to be buried in Beirut's southern suburbs after the paging attacks.

Then chaos and panic broke out again for a second day in Libanon.

Funeral for four of Tuesday's victims. Photo: Bilal Hussein / AP

Flee the streets

A loud explosion echoed over the funeral procession and the smell of smoke filled the air.

After a short moment of silence, the crowd began to flee along the streets and into residential buildings, writes The New York Times.

“Turn off your phone! Take out your battery!” people shouted at each other.

A woman begged to borrow a phone from a person in the press lineup who was there to cover the funeral. With shaking hands, she called her children from the borrowed phone.

“Turn off your phones now!” she said over and over.

"Stay where you are, don't use phones".

A walkie-talkie that exploded in a house in Baalbek in eastern Lebanon on Wednesday. Photo: AP

A stronger wave

At least 20 died and 450 were injured in the attacks in the second day of attacks against Hezbollah. This time it was the walkie-talkies that exploded in coordinated blasts.

According to The New York Times, Wednesday's explosions were more powerful and created bigger fires than the blown pagers the day before.

At least 71 residential buildings and shops and 18 vehicles were set on fire by the explosions, according to local rescue services.

At the same time, Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi states that they have "made plans for further operations" against Hezbollah and are ready to strike, writes The Guardian.

Crowd outside a mobile phone shop where a walkie-talkie is believed to have exploded on Wednesday. Photo: Mohammad Zaatari / AP

"Preparing plans"

- We have a large capacity that we have not yet activated. We have seen some things, I think we are well prepared and we are preparing these plans going forward, Halevi told the Israeli press.

- In every step, the price for Hezbollah must be high.

Lebanese soldiers stand guard in anticipation of a controlled detonation of a walkie-talkie. Photo: Hassan Ammar / AP

Witness Hussein Awada, 54, stood watching a man direct traffic on a street in Beirut to allow ambulances to pass.

Then the man's walkie-talkie exploded in his hand.

- I have seen things today that you only see in movies, he says to The New York Times.

 

Ambulance transports injured in Beirut's southern suburbs.Photo: Bilal Hussein / AP

Fear more chaos

- It happened in a few seconds. It just blew up in his hand.

Like many others in Lebanon, Awada fears the horror will continue.

- Tomorrow it might be a cigarette lighter. You want to light a cigarette and it explodes in your hand, he says.

According to a Lebanese news agency, a number of solar panels have also exploded in villas across Lebanon, writes The Guardian.

Images of blown panels, readers and other electronic items for solar panel systems have been posted on social media.

Yoav Gallant. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein / AP

Shifting focus to Lebanon

However, it is said to be unclear whether the solar panels exploded by themselves or were in the vicinity of exposed walkie-talkies, writes The Guardian.

Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the attacks. But Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said during a visit to an army base that the country's military focus is now shifting north towards Lebanon and Hezbollah.

- We are moving troops, resources and energy towards the north, said Gallant.