Middle East latest: Israel declares ‘new phase’ of war after deadly pager and hand-held radio explosions in Lebanon

We’re pausing our live updates on the Middle East for now.

In the meantime, here’s a reminder of the key lines over the past day:

• At least 20 people were killed and hundreds injured following a second wave of explosions in Lebanon, as hand-held radios detonated;
• The Israeli defence minister declared the start of a “new phase” of war as the army turns its attention to the northern front with Lebanon;
• Hezbollah says it has carried out its first cross-border attack into Israel since the pager blasts, Reuters reported;
• The US denied involvement in Lebanon blasts – and warns against any “escalation”.

By Alex Crawford, special correspondent, in Beirut 

There’s raw anger and real fear on the streets of Lebanon after two days of multiple explosions involving communication devices.

Less than 24 hours after the country was plunged into a major emergency with a dozen killed and nearly 3,000 casualties being admitted to 90 hospitals across the country, there was panic and deaths again.

There were multiple explosions, this time involving two-way radios being used by primarily Hezbollah operatives, security and supporters. 

A number appeared to have exploded at funerals being held for those killed the day before during the first wave of explosions involving pagers.

Thousands gathered in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut to mourn four killed during the pager explosions just one day earlier – among them a young boy.

But barely had the funerals begun and as mourners were just beginning to pay their condolences, we heard the sound of an explosion a short distance away followed by shouts and screams.

As we made our way to the site of the explosion, people were running in the opposite direction. We saw a crying mother holding on to her young child who was also sobbing, hurriedly trying to make their way out of the area.

A group of men was huddled together and we saw blood smeared down one man’s arm. An ambulance roared through the crowd to pick up the casualties, although as the funeral cortege continued undeterred, it was difficult to determine the numbers amid the mayhem and funeral ceremony. 

We spotted Hezbollah officials gathering up hand-held radios and taking them out of the area, their batteries removed.

Much of our filming was curtailed by angry, aggressive men wearing all black clothes and who appeared to be Hezbollah officials or supporters, although none of them identified themselves. 

Many insisted we did not film what was happening in front of us by putting their hands in front of the camera lens and on one occasion attempting to snatch the mobile phone I was broadcasting on. 

As my colleague Chris Cunningham remonstrated with him, his mobile phone was taken and whisked away.

There is a lot of anxiety on display here and that is translating into red-rage anger.

Read Alex’s full report here:

Reporting with cameraman Jake Britton, specialist producer Chris Cunningham and Lebanon team Jihad Jneid, Hwaida Saad and Sami Zein

A controlled explosion of a walkie-talkie device has been carried out outside the American University of Beirut Medical Center in Lebanon’s capital Beirut.

Israel’s prime minister has hit out at the new Labour government, accusing it of sending “mixed messages” and being “misguided”. 

Benjamin Netanyahu said Sir Keir Starmer was “sending a horrible message” to Hamas after Britain suspended a host of arms licences to Israel. 

Speaking to the Mail, Mr Netanyahu said: “After the October 7 Hamas massacre, the previous British government was clear in its support. Unfortunately, the current government is sending mixed messages.”

He accused the British government of undermining Israel’s “right to defend itself” by blocking weapons sales to Israel. 

The British prime minister has previously told parliament the partial arms embargo was a “difficult issue” and a “legal decision, not a policy decision”. 

The decision was taken after the Foreign Office reviewed Israel’s conduct in the war against Hamas, Sir Keir said. 

Mr Netanyahu said: “Israel is waging a just war with just means, taking unprecedented measures to keep civilians out of harm’s way and comporting fully with international law.

“Most recently, the new UK government suspended 30 arms licences to Israel, days after Hamas executed six Israeli hostages, sending a horrible message to Hamas.”

He added that “these misguided decisions will not change Israel’s determination to defeat Hamas”.

Tributes have been left at the gate of Lebanon’s embassy in Iran’s capital Tehran.

A Lebanese flag is spread across a bed of flowers, while children lit candles. 

Twelve people were killed in the pager explosions across Lebanon yesterday, with 20 killed in blasts today which saw hand-held radios detonate.

The explosive pagers and hand-held radios in Lebanon were a “warning shot”, a former senior Israeli intelligence official has said.

Dr Eyal Pinko said the blasts were a “very successful tactical move”, although he claimed he did not know if Israel was responsible.

Speaking to the The World with Yalda Hakim, Dr Pinko said Israel had “suffered in the last year 9,000 missiles and rockets” fired by Hezbollah towards Israeli cities.

“Just imagine that London in one year is suffering 9,000 rockets – it’s an unimaginable number,” he added.

“I think Israel doesn’t want to go to any escalation.”

Dr Pinko said Israel wants a ceasefire and hostages back from Hamas, adding: “We want peace and calm.

“The way this operation was done – if it was by Israel or not – it’s a way of saying or signalling ‘let’s stop here… we can penetrate you… and let’s stop here.”

Asked if the pager and hand-held radio explosions had been “a sort of warning shot”, he replied: “I believe so.

“Israel doesn’t want to go to any more war. Israel wants peace and quiet and to finish the war in the Gaza Strip.”

The situation in the Middle East is “moving further and further away from where we need to be”, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the UK has warned. 

Speaking on The World with Yalda Hakim, Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud said he believes we are now “the closest we’ve been to a regional war since 1973”. 

He warned the situation on the ground is only getting worse and it is time to put in “renewed efforts” to stop the fighting. 

Prince Khalid said he was “thrilled” the conflict had not spilled over into a wider regional war already. 

“The fact it hasn’t is a positive sign but every day we get closer to that,” he said. 

The ambassador said it was “crucial” to stop human suffering on the ground in Gaza, and called on the international community to apply more pressure. 

He said the world has “failed slightly otherwise we wouldn’t be where we are” and he was “disappointed with everybody, including ourselves”. 

Asked about the blasts in Lebanon over the last two days, Prince Khalid said it was “a bit too early to have an opinion” but it “certainly looks unusual for so many devices to have a fault at the same time”. 

He said it was “not a positive sign of where the conflict is going”. 

The Lebanese health ministry has just announced another six deaths from today’s blasts, taking the total number of people killed to 20. 

It was earlier announced that more than 450 people had been injured following a second wave of explosions in Lebanon.

We’ve just heard from our special correspondent Alex Crawford in Beirut, who says there is a “great deal of embarrassment” among Hezbollah’s ranks following today’s attacks. 

The Sky News team has been speaking to those very close to the inner Hezbollah circle, and Crawford says there is “concern and worry” about how the group’s communications network could have been infiltrated and compromised in such a way. 

“Thousands and thousands” of pagers are being destroyed, after many were detonated yesterday across the country – leaving at least 12 people dead. 

Crawford says Hezbollah’s communications have been “comprehensively crippled” and the group is now using old-fashioned methods – although it won’t disclose what these are. 

It’s not just Hezbollah that has been affected by these attacks. 

Across the country “there’s a lot of anger, there’s an awful lot of fear and confusion”, Crawford says. 

Ninety hospitals are involved and almost every part of the country is either involved or being used to transport casualties to, she says. 

Many of the blasts went off in public areas such as open air markets and supermarkets, so Lebanese citizens – not just those who support Hezbollah – are feeling “very, very threatened and vulnerable”. 

Explosions apparently targeting Hezbollah members have rocked Lebanon over the last two days. 

The attacks are widely thought to have been carried out by Israel. 

Here is what we know… 

Pager explosions 

Yesterday, pagers used by hundreds of Hezbollah members exploded almost simultaneously in parts of Lebanon as well as Syria. 

At least 12 people were killed, including two young children. Thousands more were injured. 

The attack appears to have been a complex Israeli operation targeting Hezbollah, but a large number of civilian casualties were also reported. 

Detonations occurred in places including homes, cars, supermarkets and cafes. 

Hezbollah has used pagers as a form of communication for years, and recently its leader warned the group’s members not to carry mobile phones to avoid being tracked by Israel. 

Pagers carry lower risks for intercepted communications and run on a different wireless network than mobile phones.

Elijah J Magnier, a Brussels-based veteran and a senior political risk analyst, said he has had conversations with members of Hezbollah and survivors of the attack. The newer brand of pagers used in yesterday’s explosions were procured more than six months ago, he said.

It’s not clear how they arrived in Lebanon. 

Hand-held radio explosions

A second round of explosions hit Lebanon today – this time caused by hand-held radios and home solar energy systems. 

A further 14 people have been killed and 450 injured. 

The deadly explosions were triggered in Beirut and other parts of the country. 

Several blasts were heard at a funeral for three Hezbollah members and a child killed by yesterday’s explosions, according to Associated Press journalists at the scene.