Lebanon: Hezbollah members among hundreds wounded as pagers explode mysteriously
Hundreds of people, including numerous Hezbollah members, were severely injured across Lebanon when their handheld pagers exploded. Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was also among those hurt by the pager explosions, reports said. A Hezbollah official described the incident as the "biggest security breach" they have faced in nearly a year amid ongoing cross-border conflicts with Israel.
Why does this story matter?
Since the onset of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah on October, 8 Beirut has been hit three times. The escalation began when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in support of Hamas's attack, which triggered the ongoing Gaza conflict. Notably, Hezbollah operates its own independent communication system, and suspicions have emerged since October that Israel has infiltrated it. This belief has gained traction following the assassination of several Hezbollah commanders through precision strikes.
Pager explosions amid Israel-Hezbollah hostilities
According to Al Jazeera, the devices appeared to have been hacked and detonated in a coordinated attack. Lebanon's minister of health, Firas Abiad, said that while it was too early for an accurate tally, the number of wounded was in the "hundreds" and there were some fatalities from the explosions. Israel has yet to comment on the attack.
Widespread panic following pager explosions
The "near simultaneous explosions" were reported in southern Lebanon, eastern parts of the country, and Beirut's southern suburbs. This led to widespread panic among the population. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had previously urged his fighters to stop using smartphones due to Israel's ability to infiltrate those devices. So now the Hezbollah has resorted to this communications system using pagers, and it seems they have been penetrated, the report added.
Watch video of the pager explosions here
Netanyahu conducting critical security discussions
Separately, amid rising tensions with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly been conducting a series of critical security discussions with top military officials, as reported by Israeli media. Both The Times of Israel and Ynet referred to these meetings as "dramatic." These consultations followed an overnight security cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Large-scale military action likely
During the security cabinet meeting, Israel agreed to broaden its war objectives, including the return of thousands of Israelis evacuated from northern towns severely hit by Hezbollah rocket fire, indicating a potential large-scale military action against the group. Notably, Hezbollah officials have previously stated that the group would halt its actions if a ceasefire in Gaza were achieved, whereas Israel maintains it cannot permit militants to stay in southern Lebanon near the border.
