Nine people, including a child, were killed in a series of explosions involving handheld pagers used by the armed group Hezbollah, according to Lebanon’s health minister.
Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon was among the 2,800 individuals wounded in the simultaneous blasts that occurred in Beirut and other regions.
Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, confirmed that the pagers belonged to their members and acknowledged the deaths of eight fighters.
They attributed the explosions to “Israeli criminal aggression” and vowed retaliation. The Israeli military has declined to comment on the incident.
The explosions occurred against a backdrop of ongoing conflict, with nearly daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah since the start of the war with Hamas in Gaza on October 7.
Hezbollah claimed that their actions were in support of Hamas.
The United Nations has expressed deep concern over the volatile situation. Many Lebanese were left shocked and in disbelief by the unprecedented scale of the attacks.
Hezbollah reported that the pagers, which are crucial for their communications due to the risk of mobile phone tracking, exploded around 15:30 local time (12:30 GMT).
One CCTV video captured an explosion occurring in a man’s bag or pocket in a supermarket, resulting in severe injuries.
The health minister stated that 200 of the wounded are in critical condition, with many suffering severe injuries to their hands, face, and eyes.
The LAU Medical Centre in Beirut was overwhelmed and restricted access due to the severity of the injuries.
Hezbollah’s media office announced the deaths of eight fighters but did not disclose details about the locations or circumstances.
Among the casualties were the son of Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar and the 10-year-old daughter of a Hezbollah member.
A source also reported that the son of another lawmaker, Hassan Fadlallah, was initially thought dead but was later found to be wounded.
Fourteen people were also injured by the explosions in neighboring Syria, where Hezbollah is involved in the civil war.
Hezbollah and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati both blamed Israel for the attacks, with Mikati describing them as a serious violation of Lebanese sovereignty.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned what he called Israeli terrorism, while the US, Israel’s closest ally, denied involvement and urged Iran to de-escalate tensions.
Hezbollah has not specified what caused the pagers to explode but suggested that overheating batteries or tampering might be involved.
Experts speculate that the pagers may have been rigged with military-grade explosives, triggered by a signal such as a text message.
The incident represents a significant breach in Hezbollah’s security and has led to increased pressure on the group’s leaders to retaliate.
The Israeli military did not comment on the pager explosions but stated that Chief of Staff Lt Gen Herzi Halevi had assessed the situation with commanders, focusing on readiness for both offensive and defensive actions.
Earlier in the day, Israel conducted an air strike killing three Hezbollah members, while Hezbollah responded with missile and drone attacks.
This escalation comes as Israel’s government aims to return displaced residents to northern areas and is considering further military action against Hezbollah.
Since October, at least 589 people have died in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters, while Israel reports 25 civilian and 21 security force deaths.
Source-BBC
