(NewsNation) — Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, is urging diplomacy amid reports of more device detonations in Lebanon.
Dujarric released a statement on behalf of Guterres requesting “all concerned actors to exercise maximum restraint to avert any further escalation.” The statement concluded saying the U.N. “supports all diplomatic and political efforts to end the violence that threatens to engulf the region.”
Walkie-talkies and solar equipment exploded in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon on Wednesday, in an apparent 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 attacks — which were widely believed to be carried out by Israel and targeted Hezbollah but also killed civilians — have increased fears that the simmering conflict could escalate into all-out war.
Speaking to Israeli troops Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, “We are at the start of a new phase in the war — it requires courage, determination and perseverance.” He made no mention of the exploding devices but praised the work of Israel’s army and security agencies, saying “the results are very impressive.”
The new blasts hit a country still roiling with confusion and anger after Tuesday’s pager bombings, which killed at least 12 people, including two children, and wounded some 2,800 others.
The second wave also deepens concern over the potentially indiscriminate casualties caused in the attacks, in which hundreds of blasts went off wherever the holder of the pager happened to be — in homes, cars, at grocery stores and in cafes, often with family or bystanders nearby.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.