Deadly Pager Explosions Rock Lebanon: 8 Killed, 2,750 Injured
At least eight people lost their lives, and 2,750 others, including Hezbollah fighters, medics, and Iran’s envoy to Beirut, were injured on Tuesday after their communication pagers exploded across Lebanon, according to security sources and the Lebanese health minister.
Lebanon’s information minister, Ziad Makary, condemned the explosions as an act of “Israeli aggression,” a sentiment echoed by Hezbollah, which blamed Israel for the blasts and vowed retribution.
The Israeli military did not respond to Reuters’ request for comments on the incident.
A Hezbollah official, who spoke under anonymity, labeled the pager explosions as the group’s “biggest security breach” in nearly a year of conflict with Israel.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has escalated significantly since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October, marking the most intense clashes in years.
Hezbollah confirmed that at least three people were killed, including two of its fighters and a young girl. The group is currently investigating the causes of the blasts.
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was unharmed by the explosions, the group confirmed.
The explosions, which began at around 3:45 p.m. local time, continued for nearly an hour, but the exact method of detonation remains unclear.
Lebanon’s foreign ministry condemned the blasts, calling them a “deliberate Israeli escalation” and cited accompanying threats from Israel to widen the war to Lebanon.
According to Lebanese internal security forces, several wireless communication devices were detonated across the country, primarily in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a known Hezbollah stronghold.
Security sources revealed that the pagers were newly introduced models brought in by Hezbollah over the past few months.
Widespread Injuries
Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad confirmed that 2,750 people were wounded, with 200 in critical condition.
Many of the injured were Hezbollah fighters, some of whom were the sons of high-ranking officials, two security sources told Reuters.
Among the fatalities was the son of Hezbollah parliament member Ali Ammar, they added.
Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, sustained minor injuries from the pager explosion and is under observation at a hospital, according to Iran’s Fars news agency. Reuters has not yet independently confirmed this.
Israel has not issued any official statement regarding the explosions.
Earlier that day, Israel’s Shin Bet security agency reported that it had thwarted a Hezbollah plot to assassinate a former senior defense official in the coming days.
Shin Bet disclosed that they had intercepted an explosive device equipped with a mobile phone-based remote detonation system that Hezbollah allegedly intended to operate from Lebanon.
The agency noted that the plot bore similarities to an attack attempt in Tel Aviv a year ago, but refrained from providing further details.
Hezbollah has stated that it seeks to avoid full-scale war with Israel but insists that the cross-border skirmishes will not cease unless the Gaza conflict ends. Ceasefire efforts for Gaza have yet to yield results despite months of negotiations involving Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.
Scenes of Chaos and Desperation
Following the explosions, ambulances raced through the Hezbollah-dominated southern suburbs of Beirut, where panic gripped the population. A security source reported that similar explosions occurred in southern Lebanon.
At Mt. Lebanon hospital, a Reuters journalist witnessed people with bloodied hands arriving by motorcycle, screaming in agony.
The head of Nabatieh Public Hospital in southern Lebanon, Hassan Wazni, reported that around 40 injured people were receiving treatment for facial, eye, and limb injuries.
Citizens gathered anxiously at building entrances, checking on loved ones who might have been wounded, a Reuters correspondent noted.
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Regional broadcasters aired CCTV footage showing what appeared to be a small device placed by a grocery store’s cashier exploding unexpectedly.
Another video showed a person being thrown to the ground by an explosion at a market’s fruit stand.
Lebanon’s health ministry-run crisis operations center urged all medical personnel to report to hospitals to assist with the surge of injured patients. The ministry also instructed healthcare workers to avoid using pagers.
The Lebanese Red Cross deployed more than 50 ambulances and 300 emergency responders to aid in evacuating the wounded.
Hezbollah launched missile strikes on Israel following the Hamas attack on October 7, which sparked the ongoing Gaza war. Since then, Hezbollah and Israel have engaged in continuous cross-border hostilities, though both sides have sought to prevent a full-scale escalation.
Thousands of people have been displaced from border regions on both sides due to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Israel expanded its war objectives, including the safe return of its citizens displaced by the violence near the Lebanon border.
Deadly Pager Explosions Rock Lebanon: 8 Killed, 2,750 Injured
