On Tuesday, around 3:30 p.m. local time, pagers, a type of mobile telecommunication device used by Hezbollah militant groups for communication exploded across Lebanon at the same time. It is alleged that Israel is behind the coordinated attack.
Eight people, including an 8-year-old girl, have been confirmed dead and more than 2,500 people have been recorded injured. The attack appears to be mainly targeted at Beirut’s southern suburbs, places that are largely controlled by Hezbollah. It is not clear how the one-way wireless phones were detonated but videos obtained from X show how some of the explosions happened.
Reuters reports that the explosions affected Hezbollah fighters, including sons of high officials, medics, and an Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani. People sustained injuries to the waist, stomach, hands, and face, depending on where the user held the pager at the time it detonated.
Lebanon’s health minister, Firas Abiad, says that more than a hundred are in critical condition but only a few hospitals can offer immediate medical attention as several facilities are already filled. The public health ministry has cautioned those with pagers to throw them away as a preventive measure.
The Lebanese government is pointing the finger at Israel, claiming that the latter has made good on its threat to wage war on Lebanon on a massive scale. The Lebanese militant group released a statement saying that they hold Israel responsible for the attacks that resulted in the injuries and loss of life of its people. According to NNA News, the country’s prime minister called the attack “a serious violation of Lebanese Sovereignty and a crime by all standards.”
CNN reports that the Israeli military has declined to provide any comments. The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has been going on for nearly 11 months. Following the October 7 attack initiated by Hamas, Hezbollah joined the war by launching missiles at Israel. Since then, they have issued threats to other nations, such as Cyprus, warning them against aligning with Israel.