Lebanon’s Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate after attributing the recent pager explosions, which resulted in at least eight fatalities and injured 2,750 people, to Israeli actions. The explosions primarily affected Hezbollah fighters and included injuries to Iran’s envoy to Beirut.
Lebanese Information Minister Ziad Makary condemned the detonations—used for communication by Hezbollah—as an act of “Israeli aggression.” Hezbollah declared that Israel would face “its fair punishment” for these attacks.
The Israeli military, which has been engaged in ongoing cross-border conflict with Hezbollah since the outbreak of the Gaza war last October, refrained from commenting on the explosions.
However, an Israeli military spokesman confirmed that Major General Herzi Halevi met with senior officers to evaluate the situation, emphasizing the need for continued vigilance.
Hezbollah described the incident as the “biggest security breach” it has faced in nearly a year of conflict with Israel. The explosions occurred in southern Lebanon, particularly in areas known as Hezbollah strongholds.
Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad reported that among the injured, 200 individuals were critically hurt, many of whom were Hezbollah fighters, including the son of a member of the Lebanese parliament, Ali Ammar. Ammar condemned the incident as Israeli aggression, stating, “We will deal with the enemy in the language it understands.”
The situation has further escalated, with Hezbollah losing over 400 fighters in Israeli strikes over the past year, including top commanders. Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon sustained a minor injury in the blasts and is currently hospitalized for observation.
In a related development, Israel’s domestic security agency announced it thwarted a Hezbollah plot to assassinate a former senior defense official, highlighting the ongoing tensions.
Hezbollah has expressed a desire to avoid a full-scale conflict with Israel, contingent on resolving the ongoing Gaza war, which remains a point of contention in the region.
