Hezbollah blames Israel after deadly pager explosions in Lebanon

Lebanese military personnel have closed off an entrance to a southern neighborhood of Beirut after the explosions.

According to Lebanon's health minister, nine individuals, including a child, have lost their lives due to explosions involving handheld pagers utilized by Hezbollah members for communication.

The Iranian ambassador to Lebanon was one of the 2,800 individuals injured in the coordinated explosions that took place in Beirut and other areas.

Hezbollah, supported by Iran, stated that the pagers were owned by "workers from different Hezbollah divisions and organizations," and confirmed that at least two of its members had died.

The organization held Israel responsible for what they referred to as "this unlawful attack" and promised that there would be "appropriate revenge." The Israeli military chose not to make any statements on the matter.

Since last October, Israel has been engaged in gunfire exchanges with Hezbollah alongside the war in Gaza, heightening concerns about the potential for a larger conflict in the region.

The United Nations' spokesperson expressed that the recent events are "very troubling, particularly considering that they are happening in a highly unstable environment."

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

Hezbollah reported that several pagers detonated in different locations across Lebanon at approximately 3:30 PM local time (12:30 PM GMT).

A CCTV video captured an explosion that occurred in a man's bag or pocket while he was in a supermarket. The footage shows him stumbling backward and collapsing to the ground, clearly in distress, as other customers rush to find safety.

"I've never witnessed anything like it in my entire life," said Musa, a local from a southern Beirut neighborhood, in an interview with AFP. "I saw someone walking down the street, and then they just blew up."

"My wife and I were on our way to the doctor when I noticed individuals lying on the ground ahead of me," he recounted. "People were in a state of confusion, unsure of what was going on."

During a news briefing, Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad stated that injured individuals were taken to medical facilities throughout the nation, including hospitals in the Dahiyeh suburb of southern Beirut, the southern city of Tyre, and the Bekaa Valley region.

He mentioned that the majority had injuries to their faces, hands, and abdomens, with around 200 individuals in serious condition needing surgery or hospitalization in the intensive care unit.

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

An insider connected to Hezbollah informed AFP that among the victims of the pager blasts were the sons of two Hezbollah lawmakers, Ali Ammar and Hassan Fadlallah. The source also revealed that the deceased child was a 10-year-old girl, the daughter of a Hezbollah member from the Bekaa Valley.

According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, fourteen individuals were injured by detonating explosive devices in nearby Syria, where Hezbollah is supporting government troops in the ongoing civil conflict.

Hezbollah stated in a message on Tuesday evening, "We place complete blame for this unlawful attack on the Israeli adversary."

"This deceitful and malicious foe will undoubtedly face the consequences of this wrongful act, both from those who matter and those who don't," it stated.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati pointed fingers at Israel for the blasts, stating that they constituted a “significant breach of Lebanese sovereignty and an act of crime by any measure.”

Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, stated that he expressed his "firm disapproval of Israeli acts of terrorism" to his Lebanese counterpart.

The United States has rejected any connection to the event and has called on Iran to avoid escalating tensions.

Family members of the individuals hurt by the pager explosions came together at hospitals in Beirut and various locations.

Hezbollah did not provide any information on what it thought led to the explosions of the pagers.

According to a source mentioned by The Wall Street Journal, the devices in question came from a recent delivery obtained by Hezbollah. An official from Hezbollah also mentioned to the newspaper that some individuals noticed the pagers getting warm just before the explosions occurred.

Lithium-ion batteries that become too hot can ignite, but specialists indicated that tampering with the pagers to induce overheating typically wouldn't result in explosions.

A former explosives specialist from the British Army, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared with the BBC that the pagers probably contained around 10 to 20 grams of military-grade explosives concealed within a fake electronic part.

According to the expert, once it received a specific signal known as an alphanumeric text message, the next user of the device would have set off the explosion.

Lina Khatib, a Middle East expert from the UK think tank Chatham House, mentioned to the BBC, "Israel has been conducting cyber operations targeting Hezbollah for several months now, but this security breach is the most significant in size."

Nicholas Blanford, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council based in Beirut, stated, “With a single decisive action, Israel has incapacitated hundreds, if not thousands, of Hezbollah fighters, and in some instances, this effect may be permanent.”

"More experienced field officers might not have felt the impact since they don’t use electronic communication devices and depend on messengers instead. However, this is still a significant setback."

He cautioned that the leaders of Hezbollah would experience intense pressure from their followers to respond strongly, calling it "the most critical point" in the Hezbollah-Israel conflict since October.

On Tuesday evening, the Israeli military released a statement that did not address the pager explosions. However, it mentioned that Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi had conducted a situational review with commanders, emphasizing preparedness for both offensive and defensive operations across all fronts.

The statement also mentioned that there would be no updates to the defense protocols for the Israeli public, but urged everyone to stay alert and watchful.

On Tuesday morning, Israel's security cabinet officially announced that their objective in the Gaza conflict is to ensure the safe return of 60,000 residents who had to leave their homes in the northern regions due to attacks from Hezbollah.

During a meeting on Monday with US envoy Amos Hochstein, Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stated that the sole method for bringing back residents of northern areas is through "military action."

His office released a statement saying, "The chance for a resolution is dwindling as Hezbollah keeps aligning itself with Hamas and remains unwilling to resolve the conflict."

Since the day after the conflict between Israel and Hamas began in Gaza on October 7, there have been frequent exchanges of gunfire along the Israel-Lebanon border.

Hezbollah has stated that it is providing support to the Palestinian group. Both organizations receive backing from Iran and are labeled as terrorist groups by Israel, the UK, and several other nations.

Since October, more than 589 individuals have lost their lives in Lebanon, predominantly consisting of Hezbollah combatants, as reported by the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

According to the Israeli government, 25 civilians and 21 security personnel have lost their lives on the Israeli side.