Walkie-talkies, solar equipment, and other devices detonated during the event, leaving 20 people dead and over 450 injured, as reported by Lebanon's health ministry. Hezbollah and the Lebanese government have blamed Israel for Tuesday's initial attack, though Israel has not commented.
A representative at Icom America, the U.S. subsidiary of the Japanese walkie-talkie manufacturer, clarified that the radios involved in the explosions appeared to be counterfeit, not authentic Icom products. He noted that the V82 model had been discontinued years ago but was once popular for emergency communication.
Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Derek France, head of U.S. air power in the Middle East, canceled a scheduled briefing in Maryland to monitor the situation following Tuesday’s pager explosions. A military official, speaking anonymously, revealed that the U.S. Air Force is reassessing its force positioning in the region in case of retaliation.
This follows the U.S. Navy's withdrawal of one of its aircraft carriers from the Middle East last week. The Biden administration had recently increased U.S. military presence in the region to defend Israel against potential threats from Iran and its proxies and to safeguard American troops based throughout the Middle East.
