Middle Eastern Headlines at 3:27 a.m. GMT
Israel launches a big military operation in the West Bank and kills at least 10 Hamas militants
Latest Stories
ReutersHezbollah vows to punish Israel after pager blasts kill nine, injure thousands across Lebanon
BEIRUT (Reuters) -Militant group Hezbollah promised to retaliate against Israel after accusing it of detonating pagers across Lebanon on Tuesday, killing nine people and wounding nearly 3,000 others who included fighters and Iran's envoy to Beirut. Lebanese Information Minister Ziad Makary condemned the late-afternoon detonation of the pagers - handheld devices that Hezbollah and others in Lebanon use to send messages - as an "Israeli aggression". Hezbollah said Israel would receive "its fair punishment" for the blasts.
- CNN
Hezbollah’s credibility depends on revenge against Israel. But its weakness has been exposed
For years Hezbollah was seen as the world’s premiere non-state actor: the well-equipped, well-trained, well-led, highly disciplined and secretive jewel in the crown of Iran’s allies across the Middle East.
- The Canadian Press
Lebanon is rocked again by exploding devices as Israel declares a new phase of war
BEIRUT (AP) — Walkie-talkies exploded in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon on Wednesday in a second wave of attacks targeting devices a day after pagers used by Hezbollah blew up, state media and officials for the militant group said. At least 20 people were killed and more than 450 wounded in the second wave, the Health Ministry said.
- The Canadian Press
What to know about the two waves of deadly explosions that hit Lebanon and Syria
NEW YORK (AP) — Just one day after pagers used by hundreds of members of the militant group Hezbollah exploded, more electronic devices detonated in Lebanon Wednesday in what appeared to be a second wave of sophisticated, deadly attacks that targeted an extraordinary number of people.
- The Canadian Press
Ukrainian drones strike a large military depot in a Russian town northwest of Moscow
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian drones struck a large military depot in a town deep inside Russia overnight, causing a huge blaze and prompting the evacuation of some local residents, a Ukrainian official and Russian news reports said Wednesday.
- The Canadian Press
Israel-Hamas war latest: Pagers explode across Lebanon and parts of Syria
Hundreds of handheld pagers exploded almost simultaneously across Lebanon and in parts of Syria on Tuesday, killing at least nine people, government and Hezbollah officials said. Officials pointed the finger at Israel in what appeared to be a sophisticated, remote attack.
- The Canadian Press
Hezbollah is hit by a wave of exploding pagers that killed at least 9 people and injured thousands
BEIRUT (AP) — Pagers used by hundreds of members of the militant group Hezbollah exploded near-simultaneously Tuesday in Lebanon and Syria, killing at least nine people, including an 8-year-old girl, and wounding several thousand, officials said. Hezbollah and the Lebanese government blamed Israel for what appeared to be a sophisticated remote attack.
- The Canadian Press
Dozens wounded after pagers detonate in Lebanon, officials point to Israel
BEIRUT (AP) — Dozens of people were wounded in Beirut’s suburbs after their handheld pagers exploded Tuesday, Lebanese state media and security officials said.
- BBC
What we know about the Hezbollah walkie-talkie explosions
The attacks left at least 21 dead and thousands injured, but how the blasts occurred remains unclear.
- Canadian Press Videos
A church that survived WWII is destroyed in Russian aerial bombardment
The sound of broken brick and glass could be heard underfoot as Ukraine's special "White Angel" police officers walked through a destroyed church in Donetsk on Tuesday. Russian forces destroyed the church with aerial bombardment on 8th July according to Ukrainian officials. (AP video: Alex Babenko)
- Business Insider
Hezbollah decided months ago to switch from risky cellphones to pagers for security. The low-tech devices just blew up.
Wireless pagers used by Hezbollah members simultaneously detonated across Lebanon, killing some people and injuring thousands more.
- The Canadian Press
UN considers resolution demanding Israel end its occupation of Palestinian territories
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly is considering a Palestinian resolution Tuesday demanding that Israel end its “unlawful presence” in Gaza and the occupied West Bank within a year and calling for sanctions and an arms embargo against the country.
- WSJ
Watch: Exploding Pagers Injure Thousands of Hezbollah Members in Lebanon
Pagers carried by thousands of Hezbollah operatives exploded within a short period Tuesday, injuring nearly 2,800 people and killing at least 12. The explosions spread across Lebanon in areas where Hezbollah had a heavy presence.
- The Canadian Press
Israel says halting Hezbollah attacks is now a war goal as officials warn of a wider operation
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel said Tuesday that halting Hezbollah's attacks in the country's north to allow residents to return to their homes is now an official war goal, as it considers a wider military operation in Lebanon that could ignite an all-out conflict.
- Bloomberg
Pagers Explode in Lebanon Injuring Almost 3,000
Lebanon accused Israel of orchestrating an attack that killed several people and left nearly 3,000 wounded across the country when their pagers exploded. About 1,500 members of Hezbollah were hurt. The Israeli would not comment.
- Bloomberg
Israel Sees ‘New Phase’ in Regional War After Lebanon Blasts
(Bloomberg) -- Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared what he called a “new phase” in the war with regional Islamist groups and said troops would be diverted to the Lebanese border, an indication that long-held fears of a wider conflict may soon be realized. Most Read from BloombergAOC Proposes $30 Billion Social Housing AuthorityCalifornia’s Anti-Speeding Bill Can Be a Traffic Safety BreakthroughNew York City’s Transit System Plans $65.4 Billion of Upgrades for Grand Central, SubwaysTo
- euronews Videos
What was Hungarian company's role in manufacturing pagers that exploded in Lebanon?
Some 2,750 people, many of them members of Hezbollah, were injured by pagers exploding almost simultaneously across Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday.View on euronews
- Associated Press
Blinken says surprise escalations threaten to derail talks for a cease-fire in Gaza
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed frustration Wednesday at surprise escalations that threaten to derail efforts to broker a cease-fire deal in Gaza, noting that the United States is assessing a deadly attack that caused pagers used by Hezbollah to explode in Lebanon. Blinken spoke to reporters in Cairo, where he traveled for talks on the cease-fire negotiations and U.S.-Egyptian relations. While Israel has not publicly spoken on responsibility in the pager attack, a U.S. official has said Israel briefed the United States after the explosions.
- The Canadian Press
Brisk voting for local government in Indian-controlled Kashmir for first time after losing autonomy
SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Voting for the first phase of a staggered election to choose a local government concluded Wednesday in Indian-controlled Kashmir, the first such vote since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government stripped the disputed region of its special status five years ago.
- The Canadian Press
Bernie Sanders preparing resolutions to block $20B in US arms sales to Israel
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Bernie Sanders is preparing several resolutions that would stop more than $20 billion in U.S. arms sales to Israel, a longshot effort but the most substantive pushback yet from Congress over the devastation in Gaza ahead of the first year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war.