Hezbollah pledges to retaliate against Israel following pager explosions throughout Lebanon.
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| Hezbollah calls it biggest security breach in war with Israel |
**BEIRUT, Sept 17 (Reuters)** - Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against Israel after accusing it of detonating pagers across Lebanon on Tuesday, which resulted in nine deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries, including fighters and Iran's envoy to Beirut. Lebanese Information Minister Ziad Makary condemned the late-afternoon explosions of these handheld devices, commonly used by Hezbollah, as an act of "Israeli aggression." Hezbollah warned that Israel would face "its fair punishment" for the blasts.
The Israeli military, engaged in ongoing cross-border clashes with Hezbollah since the onset of the Gaza war in October, declined to comment on the incident. The death toll rose from eight to nine on Tuesday night, while the number of injured remained at 2,750, according to Lebanon's health ministry. Hezbollah confirmed that among the deceased were at least two fighters and a young girl.
The explosions occurred in southern Lebanon, the southern suburbs of Beirut known as Dahiyeh, and the eastern Bekaa Valley—areas considered Hezbollah strongholds. In one incident, surveillance footage showed a small handheld device exploding near a cashier in a grocery store.
A Hezbollah official described the incident as the "biggest security breach" for the group in nearly a year of conflict with Israel. The New York Times reported that Israeli officials allegedly concealed explosive materials within the Taiwan-made Gold Apollo pagers before they were imported into Lebanon. The explosive material was reportedly placed next to the battery with a remote-triggering switch.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas characterized the pager explosions as an "escalation" that would ultimately lead to Israel's "failure and defeat." UN special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, called the attack an "extremely concerning escalation" in the ongoing conflict.
The U.S. stated it was not involved in the explosions and urged for diplomatic solutions to tensions between Israel and Lebanon, calling on Iran not to exploit the situation to increase instability. An Israeli military spokesman noted that Chief of Staff Major General Herzi Halevi had met with senior officers to assess the situation, emphasizing the need for continued vigilance.
Hezbollah fighters have utilized pagers as a low-tech communication method to evade Israeli tracking, according to sources familiar with the group's operations.
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| Pagers used to try to avoid Israeli tracking |
**MANY INJURED**
Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, sustained a "superficial injury" in the pager blasts on Tuesday and is currently under observation in a hospital, according to Iran's semi-official Fars news agency. Reuters has not yet confirmed this report.
The casualties included Hezbollah fighters, notably the sons of prominent officials within the group. Among those killed was the son of Ali Ammar, a Hezbollah member of the Lebanese parliament. Senior Hezbollah official Hussein Khalil remarked, "This is not a security targeting of one, two or three people. This is a targeting of an entire nation," while expressing condolences for Ammar's son.
In response to the escalating tensions, Air France announced it would suspend flights between Paris and Beirut as well as Tel Aviv through Thursday due to security concerns. Earlier on Tuesday, Israel's domestic security agency reported that it had thwarted a Hezbollah plot to assassinate a former senior defense official in the coming days.
Hezbollah has expressed a desire to avoid full-scale conflict with Israel but insists that only a resolution to the Gaza war will halt the cross-border hostilities. Efforts to establish a ceasefire in Gaza remain stalled after months of negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States. While experts recognize the risk of escalation, many remain skeptical about the likelihood of an imminent full-scale war, believing that neither side is inclined toward that outcome.
**SCREAMING IN PAIN**
Following the blasts, ambulances rushed through the southern suburbs of Beirut amid widespread panic. At Mount Lebanon Hospital, a Reuters reporter witnessed motorcycles speeding to the emergency room, with individuals suffering from bloodied hands and screaming in pain. The head of Nabatieh public hospital reported treating around 40 wounded, with injuries affecting the face, eyes, and limbs.
Hezbollah retaliated with missile strikes against Israel following the October 7 attacks by Hamas that ignited the Gaza war, and both sides have been exchanging fire without escalating to a larger conflict. Over the past year, Hezbollah has lost more than 400 fighters to Israeli strikes, including its top commander, Fuad Shukr, in July. The ongoing hostilities have displaced tens of thousands from towns and villages on both sides of the border.
On Tuesday, Israel expanded its formal war objectives to include the return of citizens to their homes near the Lebanon border.
