At least one child was injured, he said, adding that hospitals were overwhelmed.
Hezbollah has blamedIsraelfor the attacks.
But Israel also has a history of conducting targeted strikes against its enemies using discreet explosive devices.
An ambulance carries wounded people whose handheld pager exploded, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024.Hassan Ammar/AP
The blast, triggered remotely once Ayyash was confirmed to be speaking on the phone, killed him instantly.
