A Lebanese expert said he believes that Israel worked with other countries and foreign companies to conduct two widespread attacks in Lebanon that have killed 37 people so far.
Tuesday's pager explosions in Lebanon killed 12 people, with 2,323 others injured, Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad said at a news conference on Thursday, adding that 226 people injured on Tuesday are still hospitalized.
The death toll in explosions of hand-held radios across the country on Wednesday rose to 25 with 608 injured, Abiad said.
During an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Wednesday, Ali Omais, director of the Center for Strategic Research and Studies at Makassed University of Beirut, analyzed the causes of the explosion.
"This is a very dangerous incident because Israel was able to penetrate Hezbollah. And Hezbollah also holds Israel responsible. This issue is considered very dangerous, because Israel was able to penetrate Hezbollah's security structure. Just as it was able to penetrate the devices, it was also able to penetrate Hezbollah’s security systems and knew that they would purchase a large quantity of pagers. Because booby-trapping these pagers requires technical support from multiple parties, I believe that the Israelis cooperated with other countries and companies. Such an act also requires large devices, which may have come from the manufacturers of these pagers in the first place. So I believe that there is cooperation from several parties, including Israel, to booby-trap these devices," he said.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Thursday in a televised speech that the deadly device explosions across Lebanon are "an act of war and a declaration of war by Israel."
Israel "violated all red lines," Nasrallah said, calling the incidents "massacres."
He stressed that Hezbollah will not stop its military operations until the conflict in the Gaza Strip ends.
Nasrallah also noted that Hezbollah has set up several internal investigation committees to conduct in-depth examinations into the explosions at the technical and security levels, in order to obtain results in a short period of time.
Lebanese expert suggests multiple parties involved in deadly pager attack
Lebanese expert suggests multiple parties involved in deadly pager attack
Various celebrations are being staged across China in anticipation of the fast-approaching New Year's Day and the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday, or Spring Festival, boosting the market for related goods as more revelers get into the festive spirit.
In Beijing, more than 1,000 lanterns themed around fashion and technology are offering a colorful display in the city's Wenyuhe Park, making it one of the largest lantern festivals in the city this year.
In Shanghai, business districts have launched a series of themed decorations, exhibitions, performances, and interactive activities. Local authorities have also distributed consumption coupons, further stimulating consumer spending during the New Year's Day holiday, which falls on Wednesday.
In the nearby city of Hangzhou in the eastern Zhejiang Province, several promotional activities have been introduced to boost consumption. Additionally, business areas and shopping streets have been upgraded to meet the consumer demand for high-quality goods.
Special Spring Festival fairs have also been set up across the country as Chinese people gear up for their largest annual celebration around the Chinese New Year, which lands at the end of January in 2025.
In Huaiyuan County of east China's Anhui Province, a local fair is attracting visitors with a variety of well-known agricultural products. In Zhangzhou City of the coastal Fujian Province, a one-stop feature fair allows both visitors and locals to purchase a wide range of items.
Meanwhile, in northeast China's Jilin Province, local authorities in the city of Ji'an have sought to take advantage of the snowy conditions by integrating winter sports, offering visitors the chance to enjoy a range of snow and ice activities while shopping for Spring Festival goods.
Additionally, flowers are in high demand at many marketplaces across China as more people look to prepare some floral decorations as part of the celebrations.
In Kunming of southwest China's Yunnan Province, a special flower street featuring Chinese New Year flowers has been set up, where over 15,000 flowers are available, including more than 120 varieties of orchids.
Local flower markets area also in full bloom in various other places, from the northern cities of Shijiazhuang and Taiyuan to Hetian in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, all offering a wide variety of creative and unique flowers, which have been well received by residents.
New Year celebrations help boost market for festive goods
