Beirut: On Tuesday, a wave of simultaneous explosions involving pagers used by Hezbollah rocked Lebanon, injuring thousands and claiming the lives of at least nine people. The explosions left around 2,800 individuals injured, many of them seriously. Although the cause remains unclear, Hezbollah has pointed fingers at Israel, while Israeli officials have so far refrained from commenting.
Where and When It Happened The explosions began in the capital, Beirut, at around 15:45 local time (13:45 BST), and other regions of Lebanon soon experienced similar blasts. Witnesses described seeing smoke coming from people’s pockets before hearing loud bursts resembling fireworks. CCTV footage from a shop captured one of the explosions as it erupted in a man’s trouser pocket.
The blasts continued for about an hour, leading to scenes of chaos as hospitals across Lebanon were overwhelmed with injured individuals. Experts suggest that the psychological impact on Hezbollah will be severe, potentially affecting both their morale and manpower.
How Did It Happen? Experts expressed surprise at the sheer scale of the attack, noting that Hezbollah has a reputation for strong security measures. Some speculate that a hack may have caused the pager batteries to overheat and explode, although many find this theory unlikely due to the inconsistency of the footage with overheating batteries.
Others suggest the possibility of a supply chain attack, where the pagers could have been tampered with during manufacturing or transport. Such an attack, though rare for hardware, would require a highly coordinated effort. A former British Army expert indicated that military-grade explosives, possibly hidden within the devices, could have been remotely triggered.
Who Are the Victims? Among those killed were the sons of two Hezbollah members of parliament, and a daughter of another Hezbollah member. Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was among the injured, though reports indicate his injuries were minor.
Lebanon's Public Health Minister Firass Abiad highlighted that most injuries involved damage to the face and hands, with several cases of amputations. The majority of the injured were civilians, including some healthcare workers, further illustrating the indiscriminate nature of the explosions.
In neighboring Syria, 14 individuals were also injured in similar pager explosions.
Who is Responsible? Though no group has officially claimed responsibility, both Lebanon’s prime minister and Hezbollah have accused Israel of being behind the attacks. Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the explosions as a violation of Lebanese sovereignty. Hezbollah, in a statement, blamed Israel and warned that retaliation was imminent. While Israel has not responded to the accusations, experts believe its involvement is likely, given its history of tracking adversaries through advanced technology.
Hezbollah’s Use of Pagers Hezbollah has long relied on pagers as a secure method of communication to evade tracking by Israel. Mobile phones were deemed too vulnerable after Israel’s assassination of Hamas bomb-maker Yahya Ayyash via a phone bomb in 1996. However, reports indicate that Hezbollah had recently started using a new brand of pagers, which may have contributed to the breach.
Emily Harding, a former CIA analyst, said the breach was not only physically damaging but also an embarrassment for Hezbollah, as it exposes significant flaws in their security apparatus.
Could This Lead to Escalation? Hezbollah has close ties to Iran and has been engaged in ongoing tensions with Israel. The two sides frequently exchange fire across Israel’s northern border. While both sides have so far managed to avoid a full-scale conflict, Tuesday’s explosions have heightened fears that the situation could escalate.
Hezbollah has threatened retaliation, raising concerns that the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel may spiral out of control in the coming days.
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