A series of explosions involving electronic devices in Lebanon has resulted in the tragic deaths of 37 people and left more than 3,000 others injured over the past two days.
On Tuesday, September 17, 2024, multiple people and injured thousands across the Middle Eastern country when pagers belonging to members of the Iran-backed militant group exploded almost simultaneously, exposing a massive security breach and demonstrating the scale of Israeli intelligence.
A child was among at least nine killed in the blasts, which wounded about 2,800 people, Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said. At least 170 people are in a critical condition, he said, though the nature of the other injuries is unclear.
The blasts on Wednesday compounded the shock in Lebanon following Tuesday’s unprecedented attack using pagers, which Hizbollah blamed on Israel, vowing revenge. The militant group and Israel are engaged in a war of attrition across the Israel-Lebanon border, which has raised fears of a broader conflict.
The latest deaths and injuries brought the toll from the two days of blasts to 37 dead, including at least two children, and more than 3,000 injured. Almost 350 people remained in intensive care on Wednesday.
There was no comment from Israel, which only hours before Tuesday’s explosions had announced it was broadening the aims of its war in Gaza to include its fight against Hamas’s ally Hezbollah.
“The centre of gravity is moving northward,” Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said during a visit to an air base on Wednesday. “We are at the start of a new phase in the war.
Amos Harel of the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper said the pager and walkie-talkie blasts had put “Israel and Hezbollah on the brink of all-out war”.