In a shocking series of incidents, pagers belonging to members of the militant group Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday, resulting in at least nine fatalities, including an 8-year-old girl, and injuring approximately 2,750 individuals.
The explosions occurred around 3:30 p.m. local time, coinciding with a busy afternoon when many people were shopping and socializing.
What is a Pager and How Does It Work?
Pagers are small communication devices that transmit short messages via radio waves, often used for discreet and secure communication before the advent of mobile phones. Unlike smartphones, pagers do not rely on the internet and are considered harder to monitor, making them appealing for groups needing secure communication channels.
Hezbollah and Lebanese government officials have pointed fingers at Israel, suggesting a coordinated remote attack involving explosive devices hidden within the pagers. A U.S. official confirmed that Israel briefed American authorities about the operation, which involved detonating small amounts of explosives embedded in the devices. The Israeli military has not commented on the incident.
Among the injured was Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, who sustained minor wounds. The blasts primarily affected areas with a strong Hezbollah presence, including southern Beirut and parts of eastern Lebanon, as well as Damascus in Syria.
The pagers were introduced after Hezbollah’s leader advised members to abandon cellphones, citing concerns over surveillance by Israeli intelligence. Hezbollah officials revealed that the pagers were a new model, but details on their use remain scarce.
The explosions unfolded shortly after Israeli security agencies claimed to have thwarted an assassination attempt on a former Israeli official by Hezbollah, raising fears of escalating tensions. Health Minister Firass Abiad confirmed that many of the injured suffered severe trauma, with injuries predominantly affecting the face, hands, and abdomen.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes, with blood-splattered streets and bystanders fleeing in panic. Videos shared online captured the harrowing moments of the explosions, which occurred randomly as individuals interacted with their pagers.
In a statement, Hezbollah condemned the attack, asserting that Israel was fully responsible for the “criminal aggression” that also impacted civilians. The group vowed that Israel would face consequences for its actions.
Analysts suggest that the method of attack indicates careful planning, possibly involving the tampering of pagers before they were distributed to Hezbollah members. Some experts speculate that an error message sent to the pagers triggered the explosives when users attempted to deactivate the alert.
