‘New era’ of war beginning, Israel says, as more Hezbollah devices explode across Lebanon

As dozens of walkie-talkies exploded across Lebanon on Wednesday – a day after blasts targeted the pagers of Hezbollah members injured thousands – Israel has said a “new era” of war is beginning, tacitly acknowledging its role in the shock operation which has pushed the region back to the brink of wider conflict.

As dozens of walkie-talkies exploded across Lebanon on Wednesday – a day after blasts targeting the pagers of Hezbollah members injured thousands – Israel said a “new era” of war was beginning, tacitly acknowledging its role in a shock operation that has pushed the region back to the brink of wider conflict. Almost exactly 24 hours after pager explosions killed at least 12 people and injured more than 2,800, Lebanon was rocked by a second wave of blasts. At least nine people were killed and a further 300 injured in Wednesday’s explosions, Lebanon’s health ministry said, as walkie-talkies detonated in Beirut and in the south of the country. After declining to comment on Tuesday’s explosions, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant referenced the attacks during a visit Wednesday to the Ramat-David Air Force base in northern Israel. “We are at the beginning of a new era in this war and we need to adapt ourselves,” Gallant said. He praised the “excellent achievements” of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), together with the country’s security agency, the Shin Bet, and its intelligence agency, Mossad. CNN has previously reported that Tuesday’s operation was a joint effort between the IDF and Mossad, but Gallant’s comment is the first time an Israeli official has apparently acknowledged Israel’s role in the twin attacks. The pager explosions came hours after Israel on Monday voted to add another war objective to its conflict with Hamas and Hezbollah: ensuring the safe return of residents from communities along its border with Lebanon to their homes.