Nine killed and more than 300 wounded in latest Lebanon blasts – health ministry
William Christou
Nine people were killed and at least 300 injured as a result of the explosions targeting walkie-talkies across Lebanon on Wednesday afternoon, Lebanon’s health ministry said.
The ministry added that first responders had almost finished transferring people to hospitals.
Key events
Israel declares start of ‘new phase’ of war
Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, has declared the start of a “new phase” of the war with a focus on the northern front against Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.
Gallant, speaking to Israeli troops on Wednesday, did not mention the explosions of devices in Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday.
But he praised the work of Israel’s army and security agencies, noting that the “results are very impressive”, the Associated Press reported.
“The center of gravity is moving north. We are diverting forces, resources and energy toward the north,” Gallant said, according to the Times of Israel.
I believe that we are at the onset of a new phase in this war, and we need to adapt. We will need consistency over time, this war requires great courage, determination and perseverance.
From the Times of Israel’s Emanuel Fabian:
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says Israel’s focus has moved to the northern front as a “new phase” of the war is beginning.
“The center of gravity is shifting to the north, by diverting resources and forces [there]. We are at the onset of a new phase in the war, it requires… pic.twitter.com/zJY6OjmG7A
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) September 18, 2024
UN chief calls for ‘maximum restraint’ after latest Lebanon attacks
The UN secretary general, António Guterres, is “deeply alarmed” by reports that a large number of communication devices exploded across Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The UN chief’s spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said in a statement:
The secretary general urges all concerned actors to exercise maximum restraint to avert any further escalation.
Guterres also urges the parties to “immediately return to a cessation of hostilities to restore stability”, the statement said.
The UN security council will meet on Friday to discuss the wave of device explosions across Lebanon targeting Hezbollah.
The meeting was requested by Algeria on behalf of Arab states, according to Samuel Žbogar, the UN ambassador to Slovenia, which holds the council’s rotating presidency this month.
Saudi Arabia will not recognise Israel without Palestinian state, says crown prince
Saudi Arabia will not recognise Israel without a Palestinian state, the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, said on Wednesday as he condemned the “crimes of the Israeli occupation” against the Palestinian people.
The crown prince was speaking at an annual speech to the advisory Shura Council, according to the state-run Al Arabiya news channel. He said:
The kingdom will not stop its tireless work towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and we affirm that the kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that.
He emphasised that the Palestinian cause remains a top priority for Saudi Arabia, and expressed gratitude to the nations that have recognised the Palestinian state, Al Arabiya reported.
More than 30 ambulances have been deployed to “multiple explosions” in Lebanon’s south and east, the Lebanese Red Cross said.
In a post on X, it said 50 additional ambulances have been put on alert to support rescue and evacuation operations.
‼️‼️‼️‼️
اكثر من ٣٠ سيارة اسعاف من #الصليب_الأحمر_اللبناني تشارك في اسعاف وإخلاء الجرحى من جراء تفجيرات متعددة في الجنوب، والبقاع و الضاحية الجنوبية لبيروت.‼️🚨🚑 ٥٠ سيارة اسعاف إضافية في جبل لبنان و بيروت تم وضعها في حالة تأهب لتساند في عمليات الإسعاف والإخلاء pic.twitter.com/1cDyaqioaC
— Lebanese Red Cross (@RedCrossLebanon) September 18, 2024
Nine killed and more than 300 wounded in latest Lebanon blasts – health ministry
William Christou
Nine people were killed and at least 300 injured as a result of the explosions targeting walkie-talkies across Lebanon on Wednesday afternoon, Lebanon’s health ministry said.
The ministry added that first responders had almost finished transferring people to hospitals.
Solar power systems exploded in homes across Lebanon – report
William Christou
Several solar power systems exploded in people’s homes across Lebanon, according to the National News Agency, injuring at least one girl in the town of al-Zahrani in south Lebanon.
Pictures of exploded solar panels, fingerprint readers and other devices circulated through social media, though it was unclear if they blew up by themselves or were simply near walkie-talkies which blew up.
While paramedics rushed to evacuate wounded from affected areas, a group of men attacked a UN peacekeeping (Unifil) patrol transiting through the city of Tyre in south Lebanon.
A video showed men throwing stones at two Unifil armored personnel carriers on the side of one of the main thoroughfares in the southern Lebanese city.
Unifil spokesperson Andrea Teneti told the Guardian:
The situation is under control right now. The Lebanese armed forces intervened but this is a serious breach of our freedom of movements.
He added that no injuries occurred, just material damages.
The UN secretary general, António Guterres, held a briefing before news of the latest wave of device blasts across Lebanon on Wednesday that officials say has killed at least three people and wounded more than 100.
Guterres said it was “very important” that civilian objects should not be weaponised after 12 people were killed and up to 2,800 were wounded in Tuesday’s pager blasts.
The UN chief said the explosions on Tuesday confirmed “a serious risk of a dramatic escalation in Lebanon”, and warned that “everything must be done” to avoid the escalation. He added:
What has happened is particularly serious, not only because of the number of victims that it caused, but because of the indications that exist that this was triggered, I would say, in advance of a normal way to trigger these things, because there was a risk of this being discovered.
According to Lebanon’s official news agency, home solar energy systems exploded in several areas of Beirut on Wednesday.
As my colleague William Christou reported earlier, a video shows a blast occurring while a funeral for Hezbollah fighter killed on Tuesday during the pager attacks takes place in the southern suburb of Beirut.
In the video, a blast occurs somewhere on a Hezbollah member’s body, knocking him to the ground and sending the crowd around him running.
Second round of mystery explosions in Beirut. Explosion during the funeral of Mahdi Ali Ammar who was eliminated by beeper yesterday.
Reports of over 100 injuries throughout Lebanon pic.twitter.com/1Od8OTTRQR— #EBluemountain1 🎗 (@EBluemountain1) September 18, 2024
