Hezbollah Blames Israel for Deadly Pager Explosions, Leaving 9 Dead and Thousands Injured

Jerusalem: Hezbollah and the Lebanese government swiftly accused Israel of being behind the coordinated explosion of hundreds of pagers used by members of the militant group on Tuesday. The attack left at least nine people dead and nearly 3,000 injured, officials reported.

While many of the victims were Hezbollah members, it is unclear whether others outside the group were affected by the pagers. Among those killed were the son of a notable Hezbollah politician and an 8-year-old girl, as confirmed by Lebanon’s health minister.

The incident comes against a backdrop of escalating tensions between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, who have been exchanging fire along the Israel-Lebanon border since the Hamas attack on October 7, which triggered the conflict in Gaza. Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon was reportedly among the injured in the pager detonations.

Although Israel has a history of carrying out remote operations—ranging from cyberattacks to targeted strikes using drones and explosives—it rarely claims responsibility for such actions. The Israeli military did not comment on the attack. However, its involvement remains suspected due to its expertise in conducting covert, technologically advanced operations, including the use of remote-controlled weaponry and clandestine strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.