On Tuesday afternoon, Lebanon was rocked by an unprecedented attack that saw hundreds of pagers belonging to Hezbollah members explode almost simultaneously, killing at least nine people and injuring around 2,800. The explosions, which took place across Beirut and other regions, primarily affected Hezbollah strongholds, sending shockwaves through Lebanon’s volatile political landscape and raising fears of further escalation in the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
The attack, which Lebanese officials and Hezbollah have blamed on Israel, involved what appeared to be a highly sophisticated remote detonation of the electronic pagers. Hezbollah had adopted pagers as a means of secure communication after group leader Hassan Nasrallah warned members about the risks of using cell phones, which could be hacked by Israeli intelligence. The organization had recently imported a new batch of pagers, which were being used to share information regarding Israeli military activity.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes, with many explosions occurring in public places like markets and roads, leaving bloodied victims and bystanders running for cover. Videos circulating online showed individuals going about their daily routines when they were suddenly thrown to the ground by the force of the blasts. Ambulances rushed the wounded to hospitals, which quickly became overwhelmed by the sheer number of casualties.
Firas Abiad, Lebanon’s Health Minister, confirmed that at least 200 of the injured were in critical condition, with most of the wounds concentrated in the face, hands, and abdominal areas. While the majority of casualties occurred in Beirut, explosions were also reported in the northern and southern regions of Lebanon.
Security experts have suggested that explosives were likely planted in the pagers during their manufacturing process or supply chain, allowing for remote detonation. Sean Moorhouse, a former British Army explosives expert, speculated that a small explosive charge was embedded within the devices and triggered remotely. “It was a well-coordinated attack,” he noted, pointing to Israel’s long history of using advanced technology in its operations against adversaries.
Hezbollah, in a statement following the attack, said: “After examining all the facts, we hold the Israeli enemy fully responsible for this criminal aggression.” Israel has not officially commented on the explosions, but reports from Washington indicated that Israeli forces informed the U.S. of their involvement after the attack.
The method of attack was a new form of warfare, adding another layer of complexity to the already strained relations between Israel and Hezbollah. Over the past year, the two sides have been engaged in periodic cross-border missile exchanges following the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel, which sparked renewed hostilities. Both groups have been in a near-constant state of conflict, displacing tens of thousands of people on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border.
The pager explosions have further destabilized an already fragile Lebanon, which is grappling with deep-seated political and economic crises. The country’s government has declared a medical emergency, urging hospitals to be prepared for more casualties, and Hezbollah has ordered its members to dispose of their pagers immediately.
As tensions rise, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has indicated that the conflict with Hezbollah is approaching a critical point, warning that the window for a diplomatic solution is closing. Meanwhile, international observers, including the United Nations, have expressed alarm over the incident, describing it as a major escalation in the long-standing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.