Hezbollah members in hundreds were severely injured on Tuesday in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs when the pagers they used for communication exploded, according to Lebanese state media and officials.
Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was also among those hurt by the pager explosions, as reported by Iran’s Mehr news agency. Hezbollah has described the incident as the most significant security breach the group had faced in almost a year of conflict with Israel.
Reports stated that the devices appeared to have been hacked and detonated in a coordinated attack, marking a significant turn in the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran.
Hezbollah communication system breached
The breach of Hezbollah’s communication system had resulted in widespread panic, with images of wounded men and reports of hospitals urgently seeking blood donations. The explosions were reported nearly simultaneously in southern Lebanon, eastern regions, and Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, had previously advised fighters to avoid using smartphones due to Israel’s ability to infiltrate them. As a result, the group shifted to using pagers, which now seemed to have been compromised.
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There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has been engaged in exchanges of fire with Hezbollah since last October, alongside its war in Gaza.
On Tuesday, Israel broadened its war objectives to include the safe return of residents who had fled areas near the Lebanese border, intensifying its conflict with Hezbollah in addition to its ongoing fight against Hamas in Gaza.
Israel has updated its war goals
The ongoing exchanges of fire between the Israeli military and Hezbollah have displaced tens of thousands on both sides of the border. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that the government had updated its war goals to ensure the safe return of residents in the north.
While not officially declared a war, the clashes have resulted in hundreds of deaths, primarily among Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon, and dozens of Israeli civilians and soldiers. On Monday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant emphasized that military action was the only solution left to ensure the return of Israel’s northern communities. Hezbollah, alongside Hamas, both backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for multiple attacks on Israeli positions, with a dozen strikes on Monday and three more on Tuesday.
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