Eye operations 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 what is probably the heaviest blow in decades from a suspected Israeli attack, which left around 2,800 injured and at least 12 dead. The simultaneous explosion of hundreds of portable radio receivers used by the militia, known as pagers, injured many Hezbollah members in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon. Sources within the Shiite group said there had been a “major security failure.”
It is unclear whether, how and when Hezbollah will react to the unprecedented attack. In recent months there have been repeated fears that the shelling by both sides could turn into a second, major theater of war alongside the Gaza war.
In the coordinated attack on Tuesday, pagers that people carried on the street, in the supermarket, in their car or at home suddenly exploded in Beirut and other places. Around 300 people were still in critical condition the next day, said the acting health minister Firas Abiad. Among the fatalities were an eight-year-old girl and an eleven-year-old boy. Almost 500 people had to undergo eye or facial surgery. In some cases, doctors had to remove arms or fingers from patients.
It remains unclear how many of the victims are civilians or Hezbollah members. However, many Hezbollah members are said to be among the injured, including members of the Radwan elite force and two bodyguards of Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. The Hezbollah leader himself, who announced a speech for Thursday, apparently remained unharmed. It is assumed that Nasrallah himself is not carrying any technical devices.
Hezbollah and its main ally Iran, as well as Lebanon’s government, blamed Israel. Nabih Berri, the speaker of the Lebanese parliament who is allied with Hezbollah, spoke of a “massacre and war crime by Israel”.
Israel did not comment, but observers pointed out that Israel has repeatedly used means of communication in attacks on enemies abroad, such as in the killing of Hamas bomb maker Jihia Ayash in 1996.
Puzzles about the exact sequence of events
The day after the attack, there was still a lot of uncertainty within the ranks of Hezbollah, which switched from cell phones to pagers for security reasons some time ago. 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. Human rights activists also said that some people were injured in Syria by exploded pagers.
US media reported, citing government officials, that Israeli agents intercepted the devices before they arrived in Lebanon and probably prepared each one with around 25 to 50 grams of explosives. 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 operation.
The Taiwan-based company Gold Apollo, which was named as the manufacturer, denied any connection. Instead, a company based in Hungary designed and manufactured the devices, Gold Apollo explained. The company sees itself as a victim and, according to Taiwanese media reports, intends to take legal action.
Blood donations in Lebanon – hospitals overwhelmed
In Lebanon, doctors and aid workers tried to treat the injured quickly. In the south of Beirut, they set up tents to collect blood donations, which the Ministry of Health appealed 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, Modjtaba Amani, was also injured when a pager exploded.
The health system in Lebanon is completely overwhelmed 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 the dpa that many of the injured had to wait all night for treatment. “Our hospitals lack medicines because of the fragile situation in our health system.” Health 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 institutions also remained closed.
Precursor to a larger war between Israel and Hezbollah?
Once again, the question of an even greater military confrontation between Israel’s army and Hezbollah was raised. The pagers exploded just hours after a meeting of the Israeli security cabinet. The cabinet had declared the return of Israeli citizens who had fled from fighting between the army and Hezbollah to their homes in the north of the country to be one of the goals of the Gaza war.
In anticipation of a possible reaction from Hezbollah, Israel’s air defense, air force and military intelligence have been put on high alert, the army broadcaster reported. An elite division is also to be relocated from the Gaza Strip to the border with Lebanon in the context of the heightened tensions. Israel is now paying attention to any possible action by Hezbollah, the broadcaster reported.
The airlines Lufthansa and Air France suspended their flights to Israel until at least Thursday. The airlines also announced a temporary halt to their flights to the Iranian capital Tehran and Beirut respectively.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
