Hezbollah blames Israel after deadly pager explosions in Lebanon

According to the health minister of Lebanon, eight individuals, including a child, have lost their lives, and almost 3,000 others have been injured due to the explosion of handheld pagers used by Hezbollah members for communication throughout the nation.

Among those injured in the coordinated explosions that took place in Beirut and various other areas was Iran's ambassador to Lebanon.

Hezbollah, supported by Iran, stated that the pagers were owned by “staff from different Hezbollah divisions and organizations,” and confirmed that at least two of their fighters were among those killed.

The group held Israel responsible for what they referred to as "this unlawful attack" and promised that they would seek "appropriate justice." The Israeli military chose not to respond.

Since last October, Israel has been engaged in clashes with Hezbollah alongside the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has heightened concerns about the possibility of a larger regional war.

The United Nations expressed significant worry about the recent events, particularly in light of the unstable situation.

Hezbollah depends significantly on pagers for their communications. The organization has advised its members to refrain from using mobile phones, as these devices can be vulnerable to hacking or monitoring by Israeli security agencies.

Hezbollah reported that an unknown number of pagers went off in several locations across Lebanon around 3:30 PM local time (12:30 PM GMT).

A CCTV clip captured an explosion originating from a man's bag inside a supermarket. The man can be seen collapsing backward onto the floor, screaming in agony, while other customers scramble to find safety.

Health Minister Firas Abiad stated that the majority of the injuries were located on the face, hands, and abdomen.

Iranian state television announced that Mojtaba Amani, Iran's ambassador in Beirut, sustained "minor" injuries during one of the blasts.

On Tuesday evening, Hezbollah stated, “We hold the Israeli adversary entirely accountable for this act of aggression.”

"This deceitful and malicious foe will undoubtedly face the consequences of this wrongful attack, both in significant ways and in less obvious ones," it stated.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati attributed the explosions to Israel, asserting that they constituted a significant infringement on Lebanon's sovereignty and amounted to a crime by any measure.

Hezbollah did not specify what it thought triggered the explosion of the pagers.

A former British Army explosives specialist, who wished to remain anonymous, informed the BBC that it is likely the pagers contained between 10 to 20 grams of military-grade explosives, concealed within a decoy electronic part.

According to the expert, when the device received a signal in the form of an alphanumeric text message, it would have set off the explosion when the next person used it.

Lina Khatib, a Middle East expert at the UK-based Chatham House think tank, informed the BBC that "Israel has been conducting cyber operations targeting Hezbollah for several months, but this recent security incident is the most significant one to date."

"The timing comes as there's increasing pressure from the public in Israel for the government to protect the northern border with Lebanon," she noted. "Rather than engaging in military action, which Hezbollah could endure, this attack seeks to incapacitate Hezbollah and greatly restrict its ability to move against Israel."

While Israel has not made any official statements, these developments follow shortly after the country's security cabinet announced that ensuring the safe return of 60,000 residents who were forced to leave their homes in the north due to Hezbollah attacks is now a key objective of the Gaza conflict.

During a meeting on Monday with US envoy Amos Hochstein, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stated that the only way to bring residents back to the northern areas is through "military action."

A statement from his office mentioned that the chances for an agreement are diminishing as Hezbollah remains closely aligned with Hamas and is unwilling to resolve the conflict.

Since the day after the conflict between Israel and Hamas began in Gaza on October 7, there have been nearly daily skirmishes along the Israel-Lebanon border.

Hezbollah has stated that it is supporting the Palestinian faction. Both groups receive backing from Iran and are classified as terrorist organizations by Israel, the United Kingdom, and several other nations.

Since October, the Lebanese health ministry reports that at least 589 individuals have lost their lives in Lebanon, with the overwhelming majority being members of Hezbollah.

According to the Israeli government, there have been 25 civilian deaths and 21 fatalities among security personnel.