NEW PHASE OF WAR

Israeli defence chief puts focus on Lebanon | Wave of walkie-talkie blasts is said to include explosions at child's funeral

- SIMON MURPHY

ISRAEL has declared a "new phase of war" - as Hezbollah terrorists were hit by a second wave of exploding electrical devices across Lebanon.

Twenty people are said to have been killed and hundreds hurt when walkie-talkies blew up yesterday, including at the funeral of a child killed in the previous blasts.

It came a day after the new tactic of exploding pagers rocked the Middle Eastern nation.

On Tuesday, hundreds of pagers used by the Iran-backed militants blew up almost simultaneously in Lebanon and parts of Syria.

This first round of explosions reportedly killed at least 12 people, including two children, and wounded nearly 3,000.

Hezbollah blamed Israel for what seemed to be an elaborate remote strike, which also injured Iran's ambassador.

As the bloodshed continued yesterday, Israel's defence minister Yoav Gallant said it was the "start of a new phase in the war" turning his country's focus towards the northern front against Hezbollah in Lebanon. He added: "It requires courage, determination and perseverance."

In Lebanon's capital Beirut there reportedly multiple explosions yesterday at the site of a funeral for three Hezbollah members and a child killed by pagers that blew up the previous day.

Hezbollah said walkietalkies used by the group exploded in this second wave of destruction.