Explosions in Lebanon: Unprecedented strike against Hezbollah

Eye surgeries and amputated arms: Hezbollah members in Lebanon have been hit hard by the pager explosions. The long wait for their counterattack in Israel begins again.

The Hezbollah militia in Lebanon has suffered its worst blow in decades due to a suspected Israeli attack, with around 2,800 injured and at least 12 dead. Many Hezbollah members were injured in the simultaneous explosion of hundreds of portable radio receivers, so-called pagers, used by the militia in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon. Shiite circles said there had been a “major security failure.”

It is unclear whether, how and when Hezbollah will respond to the unprecedented attack. In recent months there have been repeated fears that the shelling from both sides could turn into a second, major theater of war alongside the Gaza war.

In the coordinated attack, pagers that people carried on the street, in the supermarket, in the car or at home suddenly exploded in Beirut and other places on Tuesday. The next day, around 300 people were still in mortal danger, said acting Health Minister Firas Abiad. Among the fatalities were an eight-year-old girl and an eleven-year-old boy. Almost 500 people have had eye or face surgery. In some cases, doctors also had to remove arms or fingers from patients.

How many of the victims are civilians or Hezbollah members remains unclear. However, many Hezbollah members are said to be among the injured, including members of the elite Radwan force and two bodyguards of General Secretary Hassan Nasrallah. The Hezbollah chief himself, who announced a speech on Thursday, apparently remained unhurt. It is believed that Nasrallah himself does not carry any technical devices with him.

Hezbollah and its main ally Iran, as well as Lebanon's government, blamed Israel. The Lebanese parliament leader Nabih Berri, who is allied with Hezbollah, spoke of a “massacre and war crime by Israel.”

Israel did not comment. However, observers recalled that Israel has repeatedly used means of communication in attacks on enemies abroad, for example in the killing of Hamas bomb maker Jihia Ayash in 1996.

In the ranks of Hezbollah, which switched from cell phones to pagers a long time ago for security reasons, there was still a lot of confusion about what happened the day after the attack. Lebanese security sources said that around 3,500 pagers exploded simultaneously in different parts of the country. According to official figures, around 1,800 people were injured in the Beirut area and hundreds more in places in the south and east of the country. According to human rights activists, there were also some injuries in Syria due to exploded pagers.

US media reported, citing government officials, that Israeli agents intercepted the devices before they arrived in Lebanon and prepared them, presumably with around 25 to 50 grams of explosives each. According to information from the US news portal Axios, the explosions also paralyzed a significant part of Hezbollah's military command and control system. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a visit to Cairo that the US was not involved in the action.

Taiwan-based Gold Apollo, which was named as the manufacturer, denied any connection. Rather, a company based in Hungary designed and manufactured the devices, explained Gold Apollo. The company sees itself as a victim and, according to Taiwanese media reports, wants to take legal action

In Lebanon, doctors and helpers tried to quickly treat the injured. In the south of Beirut they set up tents to collect blood donations, which the Ministry of Health called for. Iraq and Jordan sent planes with medicines and other supplies. Iran also sent aid teams with doctors and nurses, the state news agency Irna reported. Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Modshtaba Amani, was also injured when a pager exploded.

The health system in Lebanon is completely overloaded due to a financial crisis that has been going on for years and is hardly prepared for such a large number of injured people. Sulaiman Harun, head of the hospital syndicate in Lebanon, told dpa that many injured people had to wait all night for treatment. “Our hospitals lack medicines because of the fragile situation in our health system.” Health care workers were also injured.

The streets of Beirut were largely empty the day after the explosions. Schools and universities remained closed in memory of the victims and in protest against the attack. Some authorities and government facilities also remained closed.