Hezbollah Says Israel Orchestrated Pager Blasts Across Lebanon

(Bloomberg) — Iran-backed Hezbollah accused Israel of orchestrating an attack that killed several people and left nearly 3,000 wounded across Lebanon, increasing fears of an all-out war.

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Israel didn’t comment on Tuesday’s events, which left hundreds of members of the Hezbollah militant group injured. The two sides have exchanged fire on a near-daily basis for much of the past year, with tensions rising over the past several weeks.

A string of medical emergencies were reported after the mysterious explosion of thousands of pagers used by Lebanese people, including members of the militant group, on Tuesday afternoon.

The wireless devices likely overheated before the blasts took place, indicating “foul play,” Lebanon’s Telecommunications Minister Johnny Corm told Bloomberg.

Hezbollah and Lebanon’s government were both quick to describe the events as an Israeli attack, with the former vowing to respond. Oil prices rose on traders’ fears the deadly blasts would reignite geopolitical tensions.

“These pagers were detonated with high-tech by the Israeli enemy,” Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim Mousawi told the group’s TV.

“The Council of Ministers unanimously affirmed its condemnation of this criminal Israeli aggression, which constitutes a serious violation of Lebanese sovereignty and a crime by all standards,” Information Minister Ziyad Makari said in televised remarks from Beirut, Lebanon’s capital.

If carried out by Israel, the blasts would mark one of the most sophisticated attacks ever executed by either of the two parties, which have been fighting in intermittent clashes for around four decades. Pagers, which have been largely obsolete in the West for several years, are popular among Hezbollah fighters, who believe they can avoid interceptions by Israeli intelligence thanks to their low-tech nature.

About 1,500 members of Hezbollah were wounded in the attacks, according to a Lebanese military official with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.

While that’s likely one of the biggest single-day casualties for the group, it would hardly make a dent in its total fighting force, believed to be around 100,000.

The alleged attack adds to tensions that have been building since Israel assassinated a key commander of the group in Beirut in July. Hezbollah has vowed to avenge the death, which was quickly followed by the killing in Tehran of the then-political leader of Hamas, another group backed by the Islamic Republic.

While Israel has not claimed or denied responsibility for the killing of the Hamas figure, Iran’s promises of a retaliation raised the fears of a widening war in the Middle East.

Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are increasingly warning that a full-on war against Hezbollah is inevitable.

On Monday evening, the Israeli cabinet said enabling residents displaced by Hezbollah attacks to return home is now a formal war objective, signaling the country is closer to a large-scale offensive.

Tens of thousands of civilians have been evacuated in southern Lebanon and northern Israel because of the skirmishes, which began after the Israel-Hamas war erupted in Gaza in October.

US Role

The US has been trying to calm tensions between Hezbollah and Israel. Amos Hochstein, one of US President Joe Biden’s senior Middle East advisors, met Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Israel on Monday.

He told Netanyahu the US doesn’t believe a broader conflict in Lebanon will help northern Israelis return to their homes and, if anything, will risk a wider regional war, according to an American official, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive material. The US remains committed to a diplomatic solution, the official said.

During Tuesday’s blasts, 2,750 people were injured and eight were confirmed dead, Lebanese authorities said. Around 200 of those injured were in critical condition. Hezbollah said two of its members were killed, including the son of a lawmaker.

The explosions took place mainly in the southern suburbs of Beirut, where Hezbollah has a strong presence.

Blood Donations

Lebanese authorities called for blood donations and asked hospital staff across the country to report to duty. One of Beirut’s main hospitals said it was at full capacity and urged people to go elsewhere for treatment.

Television footage from Beirut showed a man covered in blood sitting on the ground as many others apparently wounded in the explosions were being carried away. The Lebanese Red Cross said more than 50 ambulances were dispatched to treat the injured.

Shortly after the explosions, Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held a security briefing in Tel Aviv, according to the Kan public broadcaster.

Local authorities in Israel were alerted to the possibility of an escalation of hostilities with Hezbollah, the report said. Israel’s military did not immediately issue any new security guidelines.

–With assistance from Marissa Newman.

(Updates with more details from the second paragraph.)