Hundreds of Hezbollah pagers detonated across Lebanon on Tuesday, killing at least nine people and injuring approximately 2,800 in explosives claimed on Israel by the Iran-backed militant group.
The Israeli military made no immediate comment on the series of explosions, which occurred only hours after Israel announced that it was widening the scope of the conflict sparked by Hamas’ October 7 strikes to include a struggle against Hezbollah along the country’s border with Lebanon.
According to Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad, the bombings “killed nine people, including a girl.”.
He went on to say that roughly “2,800 people were injured, about 200 of them critically.”.
“This was more than lithium batteries being forced into override,” said Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute.
“A small plastic explosive was almost certainly concealed alongside the battery for remote detonation via a call or page.”
Mossad, Israel’s espionage organisation, “infiltrated the supply chain,” he alleged.
The rapid influx of wounded overwhelmed hospitals in Hezbollah strongholds.
At one hospital in Beirut’s southern suburbs, an AFP correspondent observed people being treated on thin mattresses in a car park, with medical gloves on the ground and ambulance stretchers smeared in blood.
“In all my life, I’ve never seen someone walk on the street… and then explode,” said Musa, a resident of the southern suburbs, requesting to be identified only by his first name.
The 10-year-old daughter of a Hezbollah member was killed in east Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley when his pager exploded, according to her relatives and a source close to the group.
A son of Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Ammar was also killed, according to a source close to the group who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive subjects.
Tehran’s envoy in Beirut was injured, although not seriously, according to Iranian state media.
However, Hezbollah blamed Israel for the blasts that killed nine and injured thousands.
“We hold the Israeli enemy fully responsible for this criminal aggression,” the group said in a statement, adding that Israel “will certainly receive its just punishment for this sinful aggression.”.
On Wednesday, the group stated that it “will continue” its struggle in support of Gaza. According to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, the United States, Israel’s principal supporter, was “not involved” and “not aware of this incident in advance.”.
The afternoon bombings struck Hezbollah strongholds around Lebanon, dealing a major blow to the terrorist group, which had previously expressed fears about the security of its communications after losing many important commanders to targeted air attacks in recent months.
A source close to Hezbollah, who requested anonymity, told AFP that “the pagers that exploded concern a shipment recently imported by Hezbollah of 1,000 devices” that appear to have been “sabotaged at source.”.
After The New York Times reported that the pagers had been ordered from Taiwanese manufacturer Gold Apollo, the business denied any involvement with the items.
