Hezbollah walkie-talkie blast kills 20 in Lebanon; Israel declares 'start of new phase in war'

Coordinated attacks across Lebanon targeted communication devices, resulting in devastating consequences. In the latest attacks, at least 20 people lost their lives and over 450 were injured, authorities said, according to a report by Al Jazeera.

The latest attack comes just a day after 12 people were killed and more than 2800 others were wounded in a coordinated explosion of pagers in Lebanon. Meanwhile, Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant declared the start of a "new phase" in the war and asserted that the focus is now on the northern arena.

Sharing a post on X, Gallant said, "We are at the start of a new phase in the war - we are allocating resources and forces to the northern arena and our mission is clear: ensuring the safe return of Israel's northern communities to their homes. To do so, the security situation must be changed."

Earlier on Wednesday, dozens of ambulance crews from the Lebanese Red Cross worked to rescue and evacuate those who were wounded after walkie-talkie explosions in Lebanon, according to CNN report. Over 30 teams of Lebanese Red Cross emergency medics were working in southern Lebanon, the southern suburbs of Beirut and central Beqaa valley.

In addition, 50 ambulance crews were on alert in Mount Lebanon and Beirut to help in evacuation efforts.The Lebanese Civil Defence had said it was working to contain fires in 60 houses and shops that started after the walkie-talkies exploding, including one in a lithium battery shop. As many as 15 cars and dozens of motorcycles caught fire and two fingerprint devices in the Nebatieh Governorate.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Lebanese Ministry of Health directed health workers to urgently report to work considering the "large number of injured people being transferred to hospitals" after the pager explosions, CNN reported. Officials have also urged people to donate blood in anticipation of increased need.

Hezbollah had blamed Israel for the pager explosions on Tuesday and pledged retribution. Meanwhile, Lebanese officials urged people who possess pagers to discard them.