Lebanon: Nine Killed, 2,800 Wounded By Israeli Sabotage Attack That Exploded Hezbollah Pagers

At least nine people have been killed, and 2,800 have been wounded in Lebanon after pagers used by Hezbollah members exploded at the same time in an apparent coordinated Israeli attack. Pagers also exploded in Syria, where unconfirmed reports say at least 14 people were wounded.

At least one child was killed in the attack in Lebanon, an eight-year-old girl. Among the wounded was Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, who suffered a “superficial injury,” according to Iranian media. At least 200 of those injured are in critical condition.

“We hold the Israeli enemy fully responsible for this criminal aggression that also targeted civilians,” Hezbollah said.

The Lebanese government has also pointed the finger at Israel, calling the indiscriminate attack an act of “Israeli aggression.” Israel has not taken credit, but according to Axios, an aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted Israel was responsible in a now-deleted tweet.

The Axios report said that Netanyahu’s office had cautioned government ministers not to speak publicly about the situation for the time being. The attack came as Israeli officials were threatening to escalate in Lebanon.

According to The Associated Press, the pagers that exploded had been recently acquired by Hezbollah as the group’s leaders warned against using cell phones that could be easily tracked by Israeli intelligence. A Hezbollah official told AP that the pagers were a brand that they hadn’t used before.

The pagers began heating up and exploding around 3:30 pm local time. Blasts were reported in homes, crowded streets, markets, and other areas where civilians would be located.

It’s unclear how Israel was able to carry out the attack. Analysts are speculating that the pager shipment could have been intercepted by Israeli intelligence somewhere along the way to Lebanon and packed with explosives and a detonator.

South front