Hezbollah promises retaliation after deadly pager explosions in Lebanon

Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against Israel following a series of deadly explosions involving pagers in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, which resulted in nine deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries, including casualties among Hezbollah fighters and Iran’s envoy to Beirut. The Lebanese Information Minister, Ziad Makary, condemned the detonations, labeling them an “Israeli aggression.”

The blasts occurred in areas known as Hezbollah strongholds, including southern Lebanon, the Dahiyeh suburbs of Beirut, and the eastern Bekaa Valley. Reports indicated that the pagers, which are used by Hezbollah and others in the region for messaging, were rigged with explosives. Surveillance footage captured one explosion occurring in a grocery store, demonstrating the incident’s severity.

The latest figures from Lebanon’s health ministry confirmed the death toll had risen from eight to nine, with the number of injured reported at approximately 2,750. Hezbollah acknowledged that the casualties included at least two of its fighters and a young girl. In response to the incident, a Hezbollah official described it as the “biggest security breach” the group has experienced in nearly a year of ongoing conflict with Israel.

The New York Times reported that Israeli operatives concealed explosive materials within the Taiwan-made Gold Apollo pagers prior to their importation to Lebanon. Sources indicated that the explosives were placed next to the battery, allowing for remote detonation.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas characterized the pager explosions as an “escalation” that would lead Israel toward “failure and defeat.” Meanwhile, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN special coordinator for Lebanon, expressed grave concern over the attack, deeming it an “extremely concerning escalation” in the ongoing conflict.

In Washington, officials denied involvement in the explosions and called for a diplomatic resolution to the tensions between Israel and Lebanon. They urged Iran—an ally of Hezbollah and other militant groups in the region—not to exploit the situation to further destabilize the area.

While the Israeli military did not comment directly on the explosions, a military spokesman noted that Major General Herzi Halevi, the chief of staff, convened a meeting with senior officers to evaluate the situation. Although no policy changes were announced, he emphasized the need for ongoing vigilance.

The use of pagers by Hezbollah has been a strategic choice to avoid detection and tracking by Israeli forces, as these devices provide a low-tech means of communication amid the high-tech warfare landscape of the region. As tensions escalate, the potential for further conflict remains high.