Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against Israel following a series of pager explosions across Lebanon that killed at least nine people and injured nearly 3,000. The blasts, which primarily affected members of the Shia militia, occurred amid heightened tensions in the Middle East and have sparked international concern regarding further escalations in the ongoing conflict.
Here is all you need to know about Lebanon pager attacks in 10 points:
1. Hezbollah has pledged to retaliate after simultaneous explosions of pagers used by its members rocked Lebanon, killing at least nine individuals, including a 10-year-old girl, and injuring approximately 2,750 others.
2. Lebanon’s Health Minister, Firass Abiad, reported that more than 200 injuries are considered critical, with victims suffering wounds primarily to their faces, hands, and stomachs.
3. The Israeli military has refrained from commenting on the explosions, which occurred just hours after Israel announced a broader aim in its military operations to include Hezbollah along the Lebanese border.
4. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller indicated it was “too early to say” how the explosions might affect ceasefire talks regarding Gaza, asserting that the US was not involved and was gathering information on the incident.
5. The explosions represent a significant escalation, interrupting a period of relative calm following a limited Hezbollah response in late August to Israel’s assassination of its top military commander, Fuad Shukur.
6. Hezbollah has held Israel responsible for the explosions, terming it “criminal aggression”. It asserted that two of its fighters were killed, and the son of a Hezbollah MP also died in the blasts. Israel “will certainly receive its just punishment for this sinful aggression,” a Hezbollah statement said.
7. Reports indicate that Iran’s ambassador to Beirut, Mojtaba Amani, was among those injured, adding another layer of complexity to the regional dynamics and potential for conflict.
8. The US continues to stress the need for a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing conflicts, linking the situation in Lebanon to the broader issues in Gaza, emphasizing that a ceasefire in Gaza could facilitate stability in the north.
9. Lebanese hospitals are currently overwhelmed with casualties from the blasts, prompting the Health Ministry to declare a maximum alert status and establish a field hospital in Tyre to accommodate the influx of patients.
10. The explosions have raised concerns about a potential large-scale military operation by Israel against Hezbollah, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly holding high-level security consultations following the blasts.
Bureau Report
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