Starmer s chief of staff received a cOntroversial Pay Rise after the electiOn. And the princess of wales returns to royal duties for the first time since her Chemotherapy Treatment earlier this year. Hello. Welcome to todays verified live. The Ons'>United NatiOns says the timed explosiOn of pagers, used by his brother in lebanOn marks an � extremely cOncerning escalatiOn� in tensiOns in the Middle East. Health officials say, at least 12 people were killed, and nearly 3000 wounded. Hezbollah, a proscribed On'>Terrorist OrganisatiOn by the us and Uk Governements blamed israel for the attacks, and promised to retaliate. Jordan accused israel of pushing the whole regiOn, to the brink of war. So far, Israel Hasnt commented. The lebanese Health Ministry says, two children were amOng the dead with hospitals overwhelmed by the injured. Security sources say Israels Mossad had placed explosives inside 5000 pagers, which were brought into lebanOn mOnths ago and which detOnated when a coded message was sent to them. The pagers blew up simultaneously across lebanOn. The devices carried the brand of the taiwanese pagerfirm apollo gold. But it says it licensed out the brand to bac cOnsulting, a company based In Budapest in hungary, which handled all the design, manufacturing and sales. Americas top diplomat, Ony-blinken'>AntOny Blinken, who is in egypt for talks, said the united states did not know about and was not involved in what happened in lebanOn. Heres our middle Ondent'>East CorrespOndent yolande knell. LebanOn is still reeling from the shock. Across the country, Hundreds Of Pagers carried by hezbollah members exploded simultaneously wherever they happened to be. The iran backed Armed Group had been using the low tech devices to try to make it harder for its messages to be intercepted. Instead, it saw a massive security breach. Reports say small amounts of explosives were hidden in a shipment of pagers earlier this year. Hospitals have been overwhelmed by the thousands of casualties. Many were maimed as they checked an incoming message. TranslatiOn yesterday, we received 80 people injured when the devices exploded in their faces. The injuries affected their eyes, ears and hands, with some losing fingers. A large number of them required ventilators to prevent On-due'>SuffocatiOn Due to facial swelling. The Ons-'>ExplosiOns appear to be the latest blow in a deepening cOnflict. Ever since hamas attacked israel On the 7th of october, its Ally Hezbollah has been Firing Rockets into Northern Israel in support, and israel has been striking back. Although israel is not officially commenting On this attack, it came a day after israeli leaders said they were ready to step up attacks against hezbollah. As hezbollah threatens revenge for the pager Ons-'>ExplosiOns, i asked a former israeli Intelligence Official what israels strategy could be. From the psychological point of view, this is an enormous effect. That hezbollah was penetrated. They know where they are, what kind of equipment they use. It is a huge psychological impact. From the military point of view, it is shutting down the backbOne of their command and cOntrol. With israels allies calling for calm to prevail, the us Secretary Of StateOny-blinken'>AntOny Blinken was back in Egypt Today discussing Gaza Ceasefire efforts. WashingtOn says diplomacy is the way to de escalate tensiOns across this regiOn. But, so far, that Message Isnt getting through. Yolande knell, bbc news, jeruselum. Yolande knell, bbc news, jerusalem. Joining me now is our correspOndents daniel de simOne Injerusalem And Hugo bachega In Beirut. Is the israeli government saying any more about this . find saying any more about this . And tells more saying any more about this . And tells more about saying any more about this . fific tells more about the backdrop. The israeli government has not commented that all and it is now cOnfirming its involvement nor denying its involvement. The widespread public view here is that israel was involved and thatis is that israel was involved and that is of course the view across the regiOn with several states cOndemning israelis, israels actiOns, saying israel was involved. The cOntext is that israel has been involved in a that israel has been involved in a cOnflict that israel has been involved in a cOnflict with that israel has been involved in a cOnflict with hezbollah since the day after the october seven attacks by hamas last year and On that Day Hezbollah launched rockets into israel and since then i have been thousands of Cross Border attacks driving Tens Of Thousands of people away from their homes On both sides of their homes On both sides of the border. And around 60,000 israelis have been driven from their homes and just this week their homes and just this week the israeli government made their return to their homes One of their Core War goals, One of Only four more goals. The others related to gaza or hamas and there has been talk here and there has been talk here and debate about a possible escalatiOn of the cOnflict with hezbollah and the talk of an actual On'>Ground IncursiOn to create so for called Ones'>Buffer ZOnes in On'>Southern LebanOn. Some people see that as an unnecessary escalatiOn that could lead to devastating cOnsequences, perhaps a war with 11 On� s military itself and perhaps other militaries because iran is hezbollah� s major backer. Reuters News Agency reporting The Sound of at least One blast heard In Beirut� s Southern Suburb. With me is our security correspOndent, frank gardner. A multitude of questiOns cOncerning what we have seen of the last 24 hour is about. Lets start and take it in stages about how this was actually dOne. Stages about how this was actually dOne. There is Only One organisatiOn actually dOne. There is Only One organisatiOn and actually dOne. There is Only. One On-and-country'>OrganisatiOn And Country actually dOne. There is Only One On-and-country'>OrganisatiOn And Country in the regiOn that has both the Intent And Capability technically to do something like this. That is Israels Mossad, One of three espiOnage Agencies Israel has. They dOne this On a previous occasiOn in january 1996. They are not commenting publicly On this. That was the Domestic Agency that did that but whoever did this was able to physically rather than digitally or through cyber malware, through cyber malwa re, physically through cyber malware, physically inserting themselves into the Supply Chain of these pagers, whether In Budapest or somewhere in transit, but either way the israeli intelligence must have known that hezbollah placed an order for 5000 pagers and went delivered nOn places an order for that many pagers. Who uses pagers . 0k, in this country the nhs but most people have not even heard of them really. They belOng to the 20th Century. If it is in live and On, it will be hezbollah. That will have sounded Alarm Bells in israel and alerted them to an opportunity i think to try and do this. Youre talking about a relatively small amount but damaging somewhere between 220 but damaging somewhere between 2 20 g of Military Grade high explosive petn, h x, rdx, any of those inserted next to the battery as part of the element of the pager. Battery as part of the element of the pager of the pager. And the un cOndemning of the pager. And the un cOndemning the of the pager. And the un cOndemning the indiscriminate nature of this and demanding an investigatiOn so more reactiOnComing In all the time as the ramificatiOns of what was dOne actually really is focused upOn but why now . But why now . Well, there is a theory which but why now . Well, there is a theory which i but why now . Well, there is a theory which i think but why now . Well, there is a theory which i think its but why now . Well, there is a theory which i think its quite | theory which i think its quite plausible which is being reported that hezbollah had discovered some of the sabotaged pages, some of the devices and were starting to put two and two together and therefore israel sent the signal that detOnated these. Remember, israel has not commented On this but we are all making the assumptiOn because there is no other plausible alternative and there is an irOny here that right now youve got anthOny blinking, the us Secretary Of State, in cairo pushing forward for a ceasefire in gaza that gets the israeli Hostages Home and the israeli Hostages Home and the israeli troops out of gaza to end the cOnflict. AntOny blinken. They were not welcome this. You have to take the us at its word when it says it did not know anything about this, certainly i think the State Department would not have known about this so this will be hugely unhelpful to them and the us, Qatar And Egypt are trying to their wrestle this Ceasefire Deal over the final ten Metre Line and this is absolutely the last thing that they need. Trying to bear wrestle. I they need. Trying to bear wrestle wrestle. I will pose you because wrestle. I will pose you because i wrestle. I will pose you because i want wrestle. I will pose you because i want to wrestle. I will pose you because i want to show wrestle. I will pose you because i want to show this picture of the suburbs of beirut and over the last few secOnds we can see just plumes of smoke just secOnds we can see just plumes of smokejust On secOnds we can see just plumes of smoke just On the horizOn because those reports that reuters were just finding a few moments ago, The Sound of at least One blast heard In Beirut� s Southern Suburb so those are the reports and these are the Life Pictures so we are keeping an eye On that and we wait for an update but, frank, you were referencing Ony-blinken'>AntOny Blinken being in the regiOn because he keeps repeating effectively the same message, he has dOne so every time he has been to the regiOn which is to de escalate but we have seen virtually after every single visit a further escalatiOn. Yes, that has not been. He is doing his best to try to calm things down. Where we are now is hezbollah vowing retaliatiOn for this and they will retaliate in some form. It was not that lOng ago injuly retaliate in some form. It was not that lOng ago in july that not that lOng ago injuly that israel, by its not that lOng ago in july that israel, by its own not that lOng ago injuly that israel, by its own admissiOn, assassinated a senior Hezbollah Commander in the southern part of beirut, probably very close to the picture youre seeing their which is the southern part of beirut and that is a Onghold'>Hezbollah StrOnghold as is On'>Southern LebanOn and the Bekaa Valley and as you look at where the Ons-'>ExplosiOns took these, they mapped the hezbollah cOncentratiOns around live and On and in some places in syria. You will definitely be trying to lower the Temperature But Hezbollah will now be On a path to some sort of vengeance and the questiOn is how serious it will be. Hezbollah will want to calculate this quite carefully. They will not want to hit israel so hard that it then does a massive retaliatiOn that damages the old country of On'>Ii On. Just enough to save face but not enough to start an entire war, which is massively damaging for everyOne, israel, hezbollah and lebanOn. Thanks very much hezbollah and lebanOn. Thanks very much just hezbollah and lebanOn. Thanks very much. Just as hezbollah and lebanOn. Thanks very much. Just as you hezbollah and lebanOn. Thanks very much. Just as you come i hezbollah and lebanOn. Thanks very much. Just as you come to| very much. Just as you come to The End of the answer, we are hearing the latest from a correspOnded who is there In Beirut, Hugo Bachega, who were hoping to talk to and we will in the next few minutes with the communicatiOn slightly interrupted but he said there has been at least One blast in Southern Beirut saying it is around a Onghold'>Hezbollah StrOnghold as crowds gather for the funeral of four of the victims of yesterdays attack, those are certainly the pictures of the suburbs but those the crowds that have gathered for the funeral, so if you go telling us and cOnfirming that detail of another blast in Southern Beirut around a strOnghold of hezbollahs as crowds gather for some of the funerals of following yesterdays events so those are the latest pictures and we will cOntinue to get more detail and bring that to you but lets be clear next few minutes to. Maha yahya who is the director of the carnegie Middle East center. Joining us live in the programme. Thank you for being with us, 2a hours since those Ons-'>ExplosiOns of yesterday, our people theyre able to actually take stock of what has happened over those 2a hours . Are people theyre able to actually take stock of what has happened over those 2a hours . EveryOne is still in shock. People are wOndering how you could have explosive devices in pagers that explode anywhere actually, it Isjust Pagers that explode anywhere actually, it is just shocking. They are entrance of 20th Century medicatiOns are being turned into weapOns of mass destructiOn. Across the country. People have not really processed, i wasjust country. People have not really processed, i was just talking to some medical persOnnel and they were describing some of they were describing some of the injuries that they have seen including injuries to the face, the eyes, the hands, and to the lower extremities. Depending On where people were holding their pages but also who was right next to them. A lot of civilians have been injured just by being in the wrOng place at the wrOng time. In Supermarket Wines or in public spaces. I in Supermarket Wines or in public spaces. In Supermarket Wines or in public spaces. I wOnder if you can ust public spaces. I wOnder if you can just lay public spaces. I wOnder if you can just lay with public spaces. I wOnder if you canjust lay with us, public spaces. I wOnder if you can just lay with us, things i can just lay with us, things are very fluid at the minute. I will come back to what i want to bring in Hugo BachegaOn the ground In Beirut. Let me bring you in and we have just been reporting some of the facts that you have Beenjust Dispatching in the last few minutes so just bring us dispatching in the last few minutes sojust bring us right Up To Date. Minutes so just bring us right uptodate minutes so just bring us right uptodate. Yeah, we are here in a southern uptodate. Yeah, we are here in a Southern Suburb uptodate. Yeah, we are here in a Southern Suburb in uptodate. Yeah, we are here in a Southern Suburb in Beirut L in a Southern SuburbIn Beirut which is a Onghold'>Hezbollah StrOnghold and large crowds have gathered here for the funeral of four of the victims of those Ons-'>ExplosiOns-yesterday'>ExplosiOns Yesterday including an 11 year old boy and the sOn of the Hezbollah Mp and about 15 minutes ago we heard a large blast here in this area and details are unclear, obviously there is a cOncern that more attacks could be happening, there have been reports of Ons-'>ExplosiOns happening in other parts of On'>Ii On as well and off easily this happens One day after those Ons-'>ExplosiOns, those pagers that exploded, pagers that are with members of hezbollah. I2 that are with members of hezbollah. 12 people being killed, almost 3000 hurt, wounded as a result of those Ons-'>ExplosiOns so it is a very tense situatiOn here at the moment, it isjust tense situatiOn here at the moment, it is just after 5 15pm here and again crowds have gathered here in this area of beirut, which is a base for hezbollah, for the funeral of four of those victims who died yesterday in those attacks. Hezbollah has accused israel for those attacks and you can see here probably some ambulances arriving at the scene here, again, a very fluid situatiOn, details unclear but about 15 minutes ago we heard a large blast here in Southern Beirut. ,. ,. , beirut. Let me Ust Report what the reuters beirut. Let me jUst Report what the Reuters News beirut. Let me jUst Report what the Reuters News agency beirut. Let me jUst Report what the Reuters News agency has i the Reuters News agency has jUst Reported. 50 minutes ago. MunicatiOn is have exploded in live and On, right or citing Security Sources and witnesses saying On-devices'>MunicatiOn Devices used by hezbollah have detOnated across the south and in the suburbs of beirut, are you hearing anything more about whether we are seeing another wave of what we saw yesterday . We know that thousands of those pagers have been distributed to hezbollah members and hundreds of them exploded yesterday so i dOnt think it would be a major surprise if these attacks are cOntinuing today. What we did here was a large explosiOn here, right after five here was a large explosiOn here, right afterfive P M local time. As local crowds were gathered here for the funeral of these four victims, victims of the attack that happened yesterday and obviously it is a very tense situatiOn and we have been asked to get away from the crowd because obviously nobody really knows what is happening here, these reports emerging now that more devices have been exploding across the country which is a very similar situatiOn to what happened yesterday, an attack that shocked this country and Shocks Hezbollah but also it caused a lot of anger here. There is devices exploded as people were in shops, as people were at home with theirfamilies in shops, as people were at home with their families and again those reports as you mentiOn suggesting that more attacks could have happened now. ~. , attacks could have happened now. ,. ,. ,. , now. We wait for more detail and, now. We wait for more detail and. Hugo. Now. We wait for more detail and. Hugo. As now. We wait for more detail and, hugo, as you now. We wait for more detail and, hugo, as you are now. We wait for more detail. And, hugo, as you are reporting that, a small bit more from reuters Coming In, underlining that it was the On-devices'>MunicatiOn Devices used by hezbollah, more OnatiOns-today'>DetOnatiOns Today in the last little while across the country, in the south and in Southern Suburbs of beirut. That has been sourced both a Witness And Security sources so exactly as youre piecing together, that is exactly what reuters is also doing and we had reported earlier that the batch that was being talked about was roughly of the size of 5000 and we know that nearly 3000 People Yesterday were injured so we were aware that a certain number of devices had not exploded thus far but perhaps an indicatiOn that some of those are also exploding now 24 of those are also exploding now 2a hours later. Is it too early to say, in terms of how hezbollah are likely to react if this is israel . Hezbollah are likely to react if this is israel . Yes, we are waitin if this is israel . Yes, we are waiting to if this is israel . Yes, we are waiting to hear if this is israel . Yes, we are waiting to hear from if this is israel . Yes, we are waiting to hear from the waiting to hear from the powerful leader of hezbollah who is expected to address his Supporters Tomorrow and i think what is very interesting is that these pages, these devices had been distributed to members of hezbollah because of cOncerns that Ons-network'>TelecommunicatiOns Network of the group and this network that has been developed by hezbollah, meant to be protected, had been infiltrated by the Israeli Military and israeli Intelligence Agencies so these devices, much less sophisticated than a smartphOne, had been given to those members as an attempt to try to protect the communicatiOns being carried out by the group and now those devices have been used, hezbollah in On'>Ii On saying by israel to carry out the attack. Hezbollah failing to respOnd. We have seen the Cross Border attacks have cOntinued today. Hezbollah cOntinuing to respOnd. They are saying the attacks will cOntinue, the campaign is part of support for palestinians in gaza and they have been carrying out the attacks are almost One year now and the respOnse will be something different, something else, so we will hear tomorrow from the leader of hezbollah with an indicatiOn of what the grouP May be planning to do but again, as you can see, it is a very tense situatiOn here and i think people are still trying to understand exactly what is happening. To understand exactly what is happening to understand exactly what is haueninu. ,. ,. , happening. Just a final thought because the happening. Just a final thought because the un happening. Just a final thought because the un human happening. Just a final thought because the un human rights. Because the un human Rights Chief has been talking in the past hour or so calling for an independent investigatiOn and talking about targeting thousands of people without knowing who is actually carrying the pages. Real cOncern about that because. Is it possible to make any sort of estimatiOn in terms of the amount injured, what proportiOn where hezbollah and what proportiOn were civilians in the vicinity . We proportiOn were civilians in the vicinity . ProportiOn were civilians in thevicini 7~. ,. , the vicinity . We had an update this morning the vicinity . We had an update this morning from the vicinity . We had an update this morning from the the vicinity . We had an updatel this morning from the lebanese Health Ministry and four of the victims, i2 Health Ministry and four of the victims, 12 people have been killed, in those attacks On four of them were Health Care workers who happen to be with those pagers, a girl aged eight pagers, a aged eight and a boy aged 11 were also killed in those attacks and it in those attacks and it seems, according to reports, killed in those attacks and it seems, according to reports, here in On'>Ii On, The Girl was here in On'>Ii On, The Girl was killed when she was picking up killed when she was picking up and taking this pager to give and taking this pager to give it to herfather and obviously it to herfather and obviously these detOnatiOns happened these detOnatiOns happened after those pagers received a after those pagers received a message that was believed to message that was believed to have been sent by hezbollah so have been sent by hezbollah so all these devices exploded at all these devices exploded at the same time and we had from the same time and we had from the same time and we had from the lebanese authorities that the same time and we had from the lebanese authorities that almost 3000 people were wounded, more than 400 surgeries were carried out since the attack happened, many of them related to eye, Face And Hand injuries and also amputatiOns because obviously these devices exploded as amputatiOns because obviously these were; exploded as amputatiOns because obviously these were Checking D as amputatiOns because obviously these were checking the. People were checking the messages so this is the update we had earlier this morning and it gives us a sense of the of these attacks and scale of these attacks and again to children amOng the 12 killed as a result of those Ons-'>ExplosiOns. Killed as a result of those Ons-'>ExplosiOns. Killed as a result of those exlosiOns. ,. ,. , Ons-'>ExplosiOns. Hugo, they are On the ground Ons-'>ExplosiOns. Hugo, they are On the ground in Ons-'>ExplosiOns. Hugo, they are On the ground In Beirut, Ons-'>ExplosiOns. Hugo, they are On the ground In Beirut, thank. ExplosiOns. Hugo, they are On | the ground In Beirut, thank you very much. Lets return to those live pictures for the because the crowds gathering for the funerals, two significant lines to bring you Up To Date with, One from the Un Secretary General who says there is a serious risk of a dramatic escalatiOn in the bin On and everything must be dOne to avoid that escalatiOn, so a real cOncern and i he was quoting Volker T Rk but saying real cOncern. We were referencing and being told that Walkie Talkies have been exploding in Onghold'>Hezbollahs StrOnghold so perhaps notjust pagers being targeted with Walkie Talkies as well so that just Coming Into us, the Walkie Talkies that have been reported, both Security Sources and rescuers saying that is what has been targeted intraday � s Ons-'>ExplosiOns. Lets bring in. Maha yahya who is the director of the carnegie Middle East center. Patiently listening to that, your analysis, as we are further Ons-'>ExplosiOns going On right across 11 On. Right across 11 On. This is very worrisome. Right across 11 On. This is very worrisome. Rightj right across 11 On. This is very worrisome. Right across very worrisome. Right across lebanOn. If it is a secOnd wave, ive been seeing some images and the damage is even worse than yesterday, bigger devices so the Ons-'>ExplosiOns seem to be bigger and are causing more damage, some Exploding Inside Homes and again it is across lebanOnOn so it is. Forgoes a possibility that this is part of a larger plan and the next steP Might be more intense bombardments by israel into live and On. Right now, they have basically destroyed or undermined completely the Ons-network'>CommunicatiOns Network between hezbollah members. Into lebanOn. If they cannot communicate with each other, that kind of sense of Battle Lines and any respOnse they would have to israeli attacks is down the drain. It weakens hezbollah is down the drain. It weakens hezbollah. Let is down the drain. It weakens hezbollah. Let me is down the drain. It weakens hezbollah. Let me ask is down the drain. It weakens hezbollah. Let me ask you i is down the drain. It weakens hezbollah. Let me ask you toj hezbollah. Let me ask you to areas that obviously is causing immediate cOncern. What do you make of these new methods of warfare that have been used here . Several analysts reporting real cOncern about the new norms perhaps for entering we are entering and perhaps creeping On the precipice of an all out war, how much clues or your assessment is that we might be. We are definitely a lot closer. The methods. Turning these insurance of municatiOn into methods of weapOns of mass destructiOn, because everyOne carrying a On-device'>CommunicatiOn Device becomes a Walking Bomb in and of themselves and causing and notjust to the persOn standing there. This is indiscriminate, it does not distinguish between combatant and civilian, but we have already seen israel operating in this way in gaza, where we are looking at 240,000 dead already which isjust are looking at 240,000 dead already which is just the official figure with the unofficial One much officialfigure with the unofficial One much larger most likely and the less cOnsumptive One is much larger. It is bringing new norms, making civilians legitimate targets and it raises a lot of cOncerns around internatiOnal human rights, cOnduct of war etc. The cOnservative numbers are higher. The cOnservative numbers are hither. ,. , , higher. You have been very atient higher. You have been very patient and higher. You have been very patient and thank higher. You have been very patient and thank you higher. You have been very patient and thank you for. Patient and thank you for staying with us here. Do head to the live page because those pictures from the funerals, the latest reports On these Ons-'>ExplosiOns'>New ExplosiOns across 11 On with apparently Walkie Talkies now being targeted and Un Secretary General warning of the serious risk of a dramatic escalatiOn now in the Middle East. New Ons-'>ExplosiOns across lebanOn. There is a lot more Blue Sky and September Sunshine to come in the forecast and while its warm across the board with temperatures above the seasOnal average, is particularly warm in Northern Scotland and across northern ireland. These were some of the high temperatures recorded yesterday so 25 degrees in aboyne in aberdeenshire, the average for the time of Year Isjust 17. We are expecting something similar again later On this afternoOn. A lot of sunshine as you can see On the map. More cloud towards the North Sea facing coast. Quite a keen north easterly wind blowing from the North Sea into East Anglia and South East england. These will be the Highs Today so the mid 20s in Northern Scotland and maybe down towards the South East of england as well. High pressure remains very much in charge over the next few days. It starts to drift its way eastwards though. Quite a keen easterly wind blowing across southern england. It is quite breezy here overnight. We are going to see more low cloud blowing from the North Sea so nicky started the day here in the eastern facing coast. Where we keep the clearer skies. 0ut towards the north and the west they could be more Fog And Mist developing into Tomorrow Morning and quite a range of temperatures. Mildest towards the south. 13 14 celsius here. There will be a lot of low cloud around, some Mist And Fog into Tomorrow Morning and again that will slowly turn back to these eastern facing coast but towards these North Sea facing coast some of the cloud could linger On so the best of the sunshine probably out towards the west On thursday. We could still get to 25 or 26 celsius across parts of South East england. 23 or 24 in north west scotland. A small chance of a shower or two On thursday but a greater chance On friday as we started drawing more unstable air from the south. Still a keen easterly wind and still some cloudy cOnditiOns but watch out for heavy downpours across southern and western parts as we head through friday afternoOn. Generally still dry further north where the sunshine will cOntinue out towards the west. All change over the weekend. Low pressure moves On from the south and it will turn quite unstable so more showers particularly towards southern areas On saturday and again On sunday but drier further north. Goodbye