Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against Israel following a series of pager explosions in Lebanon that killed at least nine people and injured nearly 3,000. The blasts, which mainly targeted members of the Shiite militia, came amid rising tensions in the Middle East and have raised international concern about a further escalation of the ongoing conflict.
Here’s everything you need to know about pager attacks in Lebanon in 10 points:
1. Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate after two simultaneous explosions of pagers used by its members rocked Lebanon, killing at least nine people, including a 10-year-old girl, and wounding an estimated 2,750 others.
2. Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad reported that more than 200 injured are considered critical, with victims suffering wounds mainly to the face, hands and stomach.
3. The Israeli military has declined to comment on the blasts, which came just hours after Israel announced a broader focus on its military operations to include Hezbollah along the Lebanese border.
4. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said it was “too early to say” how the blasts might affect ceasefire talks on Gaza, saying the US was not involved and was gathering information on the incident.
5. The explosions represent a significant escalation, breaking a period of relative calm following a limited response by Hezbollah in late August to Israel’s killing of its top military commander, Fuad Shukur.
6. Hezbollah has blamed Israel for the blasts, calling them a “criminal aggression.” It said two of its fighters were killed and the son of a Hezbollah parliamentarian was also killed in the blasts. Israel “will certainly receive its just punishment for this sinful aggression,” Hezbollah said in a statement.
7. Reports indicate that Iran’s ambassador to Beirut, Mojtaba Amani, was among the injured, adding another layer of complexity to regional dynamics and the potential for conflict.
8. The United States continues to stress the need for a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflicts, linking the situation in Lebanon to the broader problems in Gaza and stressing that a ceasefire in Gaza could facilitate stability in the north.
9. Lebanese hospitals are currently overwhelmed by victims of the explosions, prompting the Ministry of Health to declare a state of maximum alert and set up a field hospital in Tyre to accommodate the influx of patients.
10. The explosions have raised concerns about a possible large-scale military operation by Israel against Hezbollah, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reported to have held high-level security consultations following the blasts.
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