Israel reportedly detonated thousands of walkie-talkies in its second strike against Hezbollah.
Journalist Barack Ravid wrote on X, “Israel blew up thousands of personal radios (Walkie-Talkies) which were used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon in a second wave of its intelligence operation which started on Tuesday with the explosions of Hezbollah pager devices, per two sources with knowledge.”
Ravid wrote in a subsequent post that the walkie-talkies were “booby-trapped in advance by Israeli intelligence services and then delivered to Hezbollah” as part of the “militia’s emergency communications system which was supposed to be used during a war with Israel, the sources said.”
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut issued a message to urge U.S. citizens in the area to “exercise security awareness of their surroundings, maintain a low profile, and take appropriate measures to ensure their safety and security. ”
“The widespread nature of ongoing events has led to reduced availability of bedspace in hospitals, limited access to doctors, and has resulted in a general reduction in routine care at medical facilities. Until the situation stabilizes, U.S. citizens should anticipate limited availability of medical care in Lebanon, most notably in the city of Beirut,” the message added. “The U.S. Embassy further reminds all U.S. citizens to avoid all travel to Lebanon due to safety and security concerns. ”
