By Patrick Kingsley, Euan Ward and Ronen Bergman
On Tuesday, an apparent coordinated strike detonated hundreds of pagers simultaneously across Lebanon and in various areas of Syria, targeting members of Hezbollah, an Iranian-supported militant organization, according to officials from both Lebanon and Hezbollah.
This assault occurred just a day after Israeli officials had cautioned about the potential intensification of their military efforts against Hezbollah, which has been engaging northern Israel since the previous year in support of Hamas amidst their conflict with Israel in the Gaza Strip. Several independent analysts indicated that it seemed very likely that Israel orchestrated the attack.
Hezbollah charged Israel with orchestrating the Tuesday attack and pledged to respond to what they deemed “overt aggression.” The Israeli military opted not to comment.
The series of explosions left numerous individuals in Beirut feeling bewildered and shaken. Witnesses noted smoke emanating from pockets followed by small detonations resembling fireworks or gunfire. Amateur footage aired on Lebanese television depicted frantic scenes in hospitals, with injured individuals showing severe hand and facial injuries while seeking medical assistance. Sirens echoed throughout the city.
Lebanon’s prime minister, Najib Mikati, denounced the incident as “criminal Israeli aggression” and termed it “a grave violation of Lebanese sovereignty.”
Here is additional information to consider:
— Thousands hurt: Lebanon’s health minister, Dr. Firass Abiad, stated that at least eight fatalities were confirmed, with over 2,700 individuals injured, approximately 200 of whom are in critical condition. Abiad explained that numerous victims sustained injuries to their faces, especially the eyes, along with injuries to their hands and abdomens. Among the deceased was reported to be an 8-year-old girl.
— Targeting Hezbollah’s pagers: Three officials knowledgeable about the incident revealed that the operation specifically targeted a multitude of pagers used by Hezbollah operatives, who have relied on such devices over the years to enhance message security. The prevalence of pagers surged following the attacks on October 7, when Hezbollah’s leader alerted that Israeli intelligence had infiltrated cellphone communications, as noted by security analysts. According to officials speaking anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the topic, the devices were set to beep for several seconds before detonating.
— Heightening conflict: The explosions appeared to be the most recent escalation in an ongoing 11-month confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah that began last October when Hezbollah, supported by Iran, commenced shelling Israeli territories in solidarity with Hamas, which is also an Iranian ally. The conflict has predominantly involved missile exchanges, but for months, leaders from both sides have cautioned about the risk of escalation into a full-scale ground war.
— Attempted assassination: On Tuesday afternoon, prior to the pager detonations in Lebanon and Syria, the Israeli military accused Hezbollah of trying to assassinate a former high-ranking member of the nation’s security forces using a remotely detonated explosive device from Lebanon. The same operatives were implicated in a similar assassination attempt in Tel Aviv, Israel, last year, the military established.
— The casualties: Among those killed in the explosions was the son of a Hezbollah legislator, Ali Ammar, while Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amini, reportedly sustained injuries to his face and hand due to a pager explosion he was carrying, according to Iranian state media reports.
