The Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah says two of its fighters and a girl have been killed after handheld pagers used to communicate exploded.
Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon was among hundreds of people reportedly injured by what Hezbollah called “mysterious” blasts which happened simultaneously in southern Beirut and several other areas of Lebanon on Tuesday afternoon.
CCTV footage appeared to show an explosion in a man’s trouser pocket as he stood at a shop till.
Hezbollah said it was investigating the cause of the blasts and did not directly accuse Israel of being behind them.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has been exchanging fire with Hezbollah since last October in parallel with the Gaza war.
But the events come hours after Israel’s security cabinet made the safe return of 60,000 residents displaced in the north by Hezbollah attacks an official war goal.
“The security cabinet has updated the objectives of the war to include the following: Returning the residents of the north securely to their homes,” the prime minister’s office said. “Israel will continue to act to implement this objective.”
On Monday, Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said the only way to return Israel’s northern residents was through “military action”, during a meeting with US envoy Amos Hochstein.
“The possibility for an agreement is running out as Hezbollah continues to ‘tie itself’ to Hamas, and refuses to end the conflict,” a statement from his office said.
Israel has repeatedly warned it could launch a military operation to drive Hezbollah away from the border.
There have been almost daily exchanges of fire across the frontier since the day after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza on 7 October.
Hezbollah has said it is acting in support of the Palestinian group. Both are backed by Iran and proscribed as terrorist organisations by Israel, the UK and other countries.
Since October, at least 589 people have been killed – the vast majority of them Hezbollah fighters – according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
On the Israeli side, 25 civilians and 21 members of security forces have been killed, the Israeli government says.