More than a thousand Hezbollah members, including fighters and medics, sustained serious injuries on Tuesday when their communication pagers unexpectedly exploded in Beirut’s suburbs and other areas of Lebanon, according to Reuters.
A Hezbollah official described the incident as the “biggest security breach” in nearly a year of conflict with Israel. The explosions occurred amid the ongoing violence between Hezbollah and Israel, a conflict that has intensified since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023.
Widespread Panic and Further Explosions
The explosions caused widespread panic, with reports of further detonations in southern Lebanon and Beirut. A Reuters journalist on the scene described ambulances rushing through the southern suburbs of Beirut as chaos ensued. Explosions continued for over 30 minutes after the initial blasts, with small handheld devices exploding in locations such as grocery stores and markets.
Impact on Medical and Rescue Efforts
Lebanon’s crisis operations center, managed by the health ministry, urged all medical personnel to report to hospitals to address the large number of injured. Many of the wounded had sustained injuries to their face, eyes, and limbs. Medical workers were advised to refrain from using pagers to avoid further risks.
Injured Iran’s Ambassador
Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was also injured in one of the explosions, as reported by Iran’s Mehr news agency.
Ongoing Conflict
Hezbollah’s missile attacks on Israel began shortly after the Hamas assaults on October 7, 2023, with both sides exchanging fire in an ongoing conflict. This violence has displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border, further destabilizing the region.
There has been no immediate response from the Israeli military regarding the explosions.
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