Israel moves 98th division north following deadly pager blasts in Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces’ 98th Division is being deployed to northern Israel due to increased tensions with Hezbollah, following months of operations in the Gaza Strip under the Southern Command.

This division, comprising approximately 10,000 to 20,000 troops, will now join the 36th Division under the Northern Command, Caliber.Az reports via Israeli media.

The 98th Division was previously withdrawn from Khan Younis in southern Gaza at the end of August. This deployment occurs amidst concerns of a broader conflict in Lebanon, sparked by an incident where thousands of Hezbollah pagers reportedly exploded, resulting in nine deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries.

Note that, a recent series of explosions involving wireless communication devices in Lebanon has resulted in the deaths of at least nine people and injuries to over 300, as reported by the Lebanese Health Ministry on September 19. Over the past two days, similar incidents have claimed 21 lives and left more than 3,000 people injured.

Hadi Hachem, Lebanon's ambassador to the UN, has condemned the pager explosions as an "act of aggression that amounts to a war crime," warning that these incidents are likely to escalate the conflict.

There has been no response from Israel regarding the explosions, but Hezbollah has pledged to retaliate against Israel.