Walkie talkies and pagers carried by Hezbollah operatives explode througout Lebanon
Thousands were injured Tuesday when pagers exploded, followed by hundreds more on Wednesday as handheld radios detonated, leaving Lebanon on edge for what might come next.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a “new phase in the war,” while IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi approved battle plans.
Meanwhile, fear gripped Lebanon amid speculation about the next potential target: “Maybe lighters will explode tomorrow? If you want to light a cigarette, it might blow up in your hands.”
The unprecedented attacks, which Hezbollah has attributed to Israel, have sent shockwaves through the Lebanese population. “People are panicking and trying to get rid of their wireless devices,” reported the Saudi Al Hadath network, citing Iranian sources who noted that the walkie-talkies that exploded on Wednesday are also widely used in Iran.
According to the New York Times, the walkie-talkies were larger and heavier than the pagers that exploded the day before, and the resulting fires were more intense due to the greater amount of explosives used. Although there were fewer walkie-talkies in circulation than pagers, Wednesday’s attack left 450 injured and 20 dead, compared to over 2,700 injured and 13 dead on Tuesday.
“I saw something you only see in the movies,” Hussein Awada, 54, told the Times, recalling how a man attempting to clear a path for ambulances in Beirut was gravely injured when the walkie-talkie in his hand exploded. “It took seconds. It just blew up in his hands. Maybe lighters will explode tomorrow?”
The Times editorial board remarked that while the attacks demonstrate “tactical strength,” the long-term strategy remains unclear. Media outlets around the world have made these attacks their top story: the New York Post headlined “Beep Beep Boom”; the Daily Mail ran with “Tech War Spreads”; and CNN’s main headline read, “Hezbollah Walkie-Talkies Explode Across Lebanon.”
Firsthand accounts of the pager explosions were published in the Guardian. “I didn’t understand what was happening. My first thought was that it was a terrorist attack,” said Ali, a 22-year-old trader. “People started throwing their phones away in fear, thinking they would explode. I saw a man whose face was cut in half. His eyes were popping out, and blood was everywhere.”
Outside a Beirut hospital, a doctor described a patient who lost consciousness from severe burns and lacerations to his face, neck and lips, “as if he had been hit by a rocket.”
The Lebanese daily An-Nahar reported similar scenes in hospitals across the country. Dr. Elias Jarade, a member of parliament and an ophthalmologist at the Beirut Ophthalmology Center, said some of the injured lost their sight, with surgeries lasting up to five hours.
Dr. Elias Warak, another ophthalmology expert, described the incident as a “real nightmare,” noting that most of the injured were in their 20s, suggesting many were Hezbollah operatives. The paper called the attacks a “tragedy that has shaken the country and the world.”
Dr. Elias Warak, an expert in ophthalmology, described the incident as a "real nightmare" and said that most of the injured were in their 20s, which suggests that the great majority of them are Hezbollah operatives. The newspaper says that the evidence reflects "the tragedy that shocked the country and the world."
How the attacks in Lebanon played out, step by step:
Sunday, 12:50 p.m.: After more than 11 months of fighting in northern Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declares at a Security Cabinet meeting that “the current situation cannot continue. We need to shift the balance of power on our northern border. We will do everything necessary to ensure the safe return of our residents. I am committed to this, the government is committed to this and we will settle for nothing less.”
Monday, 7:30 a.m.: Following a conversation between Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Gallant issues a statement conveying Israel’s firm stance. "The possibility of an agreement on the north is passing and the direction is clear,” Austin reportedly said. Meanwhile, Netanyahu is considering replacing Gallant with New Hope Party head Gideon Sa’ar.
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Defense Mnister Yoav Gallant at Ramat David base
(Photo: Ariel Harmoni, Ministry of Defense)
Monday, 6:00 p.m.: Gallant meets with White House special Middle East envoy Amos Hochstein and tells him that “he only way to bring northern residents back to their homes is through military action. Netanyahu delivered a similar message to Hochstein an hour later: “Our residents cannot return without a fundamental change in the security situation in the north.”
Tuesday, 6:00 a.m.: Nearly a year after hostilities began and tens of thousands of residents were displaced, the Security Cabinet updates the war objectives to include a new goal: the safe return of citizens to their homes in the north.
Tuesday, 1:30 p.m.: The Shin Bet announces it had foiled a Hezbollah plot to assassinate a former senior security official using a Claymore anti-personnel mine, which was set to detonate in the coming days. The announcement also revealed that an explosion in Yarkon Park last September, on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, was an attempted Hezbollah attack targeting former IDF chief of staff and defense minister Moshe Ya’alon. Sources suggest that the timing of this announcement was intended to bolster international support for strikes against Hezbollah.
Tuesday, 3:30 p.m.: Thousands of pagers held by Hezbollah operatives explode simultaneously in Lebanon and Syria. According to official reports, 12 people were killed and 2,750 injured in Lebanon. An unverified report claimed 19 Iranian Revolutionary Guards were killed and 131 wounded in Syria. Israeli officials believe the actual death toll among Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon is significantly higher, with major damage inflicted on the Radwan force.
The pagers, identified as AR-924 models from Taiwanese company Gold Apollo, were traced to Budpest-based BAC Consulting KFT. BAC’s CEO denied involvement, saying they were merely an intermediary, and the company’s website subsequently went offline. Reports suggest the attack was hastily executed by Israel after Hezbollah operatives suspected something was amiss with the pagers.
Wednesday, 5:00 p.m.: Hundreds of handheld radios explode across Lebanon, with additional reports of explosions in home solar systems and fingerprint scanners. The Lebanese health ministry updated the death toll to 20, with 450 injured. The walkie-talkies were reportedly delivered to Hezbollah operatives at the same time around April as the pagers.
Wednesday, 9:00 p.m.: Prime Minister Netanyahu’s motorcade was seen near Mossad headquarters shortly after he issued a statement saying, “I have promised to bring our northern residents back home safely, and that is exactly what we will do.” Earlier, Gallant announced from Ramat David Airbase that “we are at the beginning of a new phase in the war,” while the IDF chief of staff conducted a situation assessment at Northern Command, stating, “We still have many capabilities.”
Thursday: Officials will decide whether to convene the Security Cabinet or limit discussions to security consultations. The Cabinet has reportedly authorized Netanyahu and Gallant to decide on the next steps in Lebanon. Additionally, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah is expected to deliver his first public address since the attacks at 2 p.m. UTC Thursday.