ANKARA

The Belgian deputy prime minister on Wednesday “strongly condemned” attacks on Hezbollah members in Lebanon and Syria.

Writing on X, Petra de Sutter described it as a "massive terror attack" and a "brutal escalation of violence."

"Silence is not an option. An international investigation is called for. The bloodshed must end," she said.

On Tuesday, at least nine people, including a child, were killed in a mass explosion of pager communication devices in areas across Lebanon, according to Lebanese Health Minister Firas Al-Abiad.

Hezbollah confirmed that at least two members were killed and many injured in the mass explosion and held Israel fully responsible for the incident, vowing "just retaliation from unexpected quarters" to Israel.

The mass explosion of pagers came amid an exchange of cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel against the backdrop of a brutal Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 41,200 people, mostly women and children, following a Hamas attack last October.