Israel has not commented but fingers are being pointed from Lebanon at Israel’s Mossad as the brain behind “exploding pagers” which have injured over a 2000 members of the Shia terrorist group and killed atleast 9 people. Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate.
Thousands of people have been injured in Lebanon after pagers used by the armed group Hezbollah exploded almost simultaneously across the country on Tuesday. At least nine people were killed in the blasts, and hundreds more were rushed to hospitals. According to Lebanon’s health ministry, at least 2,750 people were injured, with 200 in serious condition.
The exact cause of the sophisticated attack remains unclear, though Hezbollah has blamed Israel. Israeli officials have not commented so far.
The explosions began in southern Beirut and several other locations in Lebanon on Tuesday afternoon around 15:45 local time (13:45 BST). Witnesses reported seeing smoke emerging from people’s pockets before small explosions occurred, resembling fireworks and gunshots. CCTV footage showed an explosion from a man’s trouser pocket while he was at a store checkout. The explosions continued for about an hour after the initial blasts, according to Reuters.
Shortly after, many people arrived at hospitals across Lebanon, with reports of mass confusion. A source close to Hezbollah informed AFP that among the deceased were the sons of two Hezbollah MPs and the daughter of another Hezbollah member. Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was injured but reportedly suffered minor injuries. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was not harmed, according to Reuters. In neighboring Syria, 14 people were injured in similar explosions, reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Analysts are shocked by the scale of Tuesday’s attack, given Hezbollah’s emphasis on security. Some suggest a hack might have caused the pager batteries to overheat and explode, though this is considered unlikely. Many experts believe a supply chain attack, involving tampering with the pagers during manufacture or transit, is more plausible. Such attacks are rare but could involve inserting explosive materials into the devices. A former British Army munitions expert suggested that the devices might have contained 10 to 20 grams of military-grade explosives hidden in fake components, activated by an alphanumeric text message.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Hezbollah has blamed Israel, calling it a “serious violation of Lebanese sovereignty” and promising retaliation. Israeli officials have not commented, but many analysts believe Israel could be involved. Prof. Simon Mabon from Lancaster University and Lina Khatib from Chatham House suggest that the attack may indicate deep infiltration of Hezbollah’s communications network by Israel.
Hezbollah relies on pagers for communication, having abandoned mobile phones due to their vulnerability, as demonstrated by Israel’s assassination of a Hamas bomb-maker in 1996. A Hezbollah operative mentioned that the pagers involved were a new brand. Emily Harding, a former CIA analyst, said the breach is a significant embarrassment for Hezbollah, likely prompting an intensive internal investigation
Hezbollah is allied with Iran and has been engaged in a low-level conflict with Israel, frequently exchanging rocket fire. The explosions occurred shortly after Israel’s security cabinet made the safe return of northern residents an official war goal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to take necessary actions to ensure Israel’s security. Despite ongoing tensions, both sides have so far avoided full-scale war, but there are concerns that the situation could escalate, with Hezbollah already threatening retaliation.
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