Hezbollah Pagers Explode, Resulting in Multiple Casualties in Lebanon and Syria

A series of explosions involving pagers used by Hezbollah members resulted in the death of at least nine people, including an eight-year-old girl, with thousands more injured across Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday, according to officials. The incident is believed to be a sophisticated remote attack attributed to Israel.

Among the wounded was Mojtaba Amani, Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon. The explosions took place in a context of escalating tension between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, which have been exchanging fire since the outbreak of conflict in Gaza on October 7, following an attack by Hamas.

The pagers, which were recently acquired by Hezbollah, had replaced cell phones to prevent Israeli tracking, as directed by the group’s leader. At 3:30 p.m. local time, the devices began overheating and exploding in locations where Hezbollah has a significant presence, such as southern Beirut, the Beqaa Valley, and Damascus.

Although Hezbollah has blamed Israel for the attack, the Israeli military declined to comment. Hours before the explosions, Israel’s internal security agency claimed to have thwarted a Hezbollah assassination attempt on a former senior Israeli security official.

The explosions, considered to be well-coordinated, suggest an extensive operation, according to experts. Opinions differ on the mechanism of the blasts, with theories including the introduction of explosives to the pagers or the use of an electronic pulse to trigger them.

Lebanon’s Health Minister, Firas Abiad, confirmed the explosion killed nine individuals, among them two Hezbollah members. The group released a statement holding “the Israeli enemy fully responsible,” emphasizing that such actions warranted retaliation.

Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah had previously warned members against using cell phones due to potential tracking, a factor that led to the adoption of pagers. Consequently, the incident led to chaos in local emergency rooms overwhelmed with casualties, as captured in footage shared online showing sudden explosions in mundane settings.

In addressing the situation, the United Nations expressed concern, highlighting the incident’s occurrence amid “extremely volatile” conditions in the region. Speculation continues to circulate regarding the exact methods used in the attack, pointing to the contentious and complex dynamics between the involved parties.