Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against Israel after accusing it of detonating multiple pager devices across Lebanon on Tuesday.
The explosions resulted in nine fatalities and left nearly 3,000 others injured, including fighters and Iran’s ambassador to Beirut. The Lebanese militant group, which Iran backs, condemned the attacks and promised that Israel would face consequences for the incident.
Lebanon’s Information Minister, Ziad Makary, denounced the explosion of these handheld pagers, devices commonly used by Hezbollah for communication, as an “act of Israeli aggression.” Hezbollah officials stated that Israel would “pay the price” for the attacks.
While Israel’s military, which has been locked in cross-border clashes with Hezbollah since the onset of the Gaza conflict in October, declined to comment on the allegations, Lebanon’s Health Ministry confirmed that the death toll had risen to nine.
Among the deceased were two Hezbollah fighters and a young girl. The explosions occurred in Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, Beirut’s southern suburbs, and the eastern Bekaa Valley.
Surveillance footage shared by local media depicted a blast at a grocery store, where a pager-like device exploded as a customer paid at the counter.
An anonymous Hezbollah official called the attack the group’s most significant security breach in over a year of conflict with Israel.
Hamas, the Palestinian militant group also engaged in war with Israel in Gaza, described the pager blasts as a dangerous escalation and predicted they would lead to Israel’s defeat. The United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, expressed concern, calling the attack a “worrying escalation.”
The U.S. government, meanwhile, distanced itself from the blasts, with Washington calling for diplomatic resolutions between Lebanon and Israel. The U.S. also urged Iran and its allies not to exacerbate regional tensions.
The Israeli military, while not directly commenting on the explosions, said senior officials, including Chief of Staff Major General Herzi Halevi, met to discuss the evolving situation. Though no policy changes were announced, officials emphasised the need for continued vigilance.
Hezbollah has been using pagers as a communication tool in an attempt to avoid Israeli surveillance, sources familiar with the group’s operations said. Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, suffered minor injuries in the explosions and was treated in a Beirut hospital.
Among the casualties were relatives of high-ranking Hezbollah officials, including the son of Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar. Senior Hezbollah member Hussein Khalil remarked that the attacks represented a “targeting of an entire nation,” not just a select few individuals.
This incident adds to Hezbollah’s heavy losses over the past year, with over 400 fighters killed in Israeli airstrikes, including top commander Fuad Shukr. On Tuesday, reports indicated that two additional Hezbollah fighters were killed in southern Lebanon by Israeli forces.
Earlier that day, Israel’s domestic security service announced it had thwarted a Hezbollah plot to assassinate a former senior Israeli defence official.
Despite the rising tensions, Hezbollah has signalled that it seeks to avoid a full-scale conflict with Israel.
However, the group stated that continued fighting along the border would only end with a resolution to the Gaza war. Mediation efforts led by Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. remain stalled.
Experts remain cautious, noting that while an escalation in conflict is possible, a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah is not imminent.
Matthew Levitt, an expert on Hezbollah, suggested that the explosions could disrupt the group’s operations. At the same time, former U.S. intelligence official Jonathan Panikoff emphasized that rising tensions could still lead to broader conflict if diplomacy fails.
Scenes of Chaos Following Explosions
In the aftermath of the explosions, widespread panic gripped parts of Beirut as ambulances rushed through thecity’ss southern suburbs.
At Mount Lebanon Hospital, a Reuters reporter observed bloodied victims arriving at the emergency room on motorcycles, many screaming in pain.
Hospitals in the region, including Nabatieh Public Hospital in southern Lebanon, reported treating dozens of victims, many with injuries to their faces, eyes, and limbs.
The attacks come amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel following Hamas” surprise assault on Israel on October 7, which triggered the Gaza war.
Since then, both Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged fire across the Lebanese-Israeli border, displacing tens of thousands of residents.
On Tuesday, Israel added the return of displaced citizens near the Lebanese border to its formal war goals.
Contributors to this report include Laila Bassam, Maya Gebeily, Emilie Madi, and Tom Perry.
Additional writing by Nadine Awadalla and Claudia Tanios. Editing by Angus MacSwan and Gareth Jones.
