Hundreds of Hezbollah members in Lebanon have reportedly sustained injuries following detonations involving handheld communication pagers. Explosions were reported in the southern suburbs of Beirut and various other locations, as noted by Lebanon’s state news agency.
Hezbollah’s media outlet confirmed the incidents but did not specify the number of injuries. Eyewitness accounts and videos circulating on social media depicted injured individuals receiving treatment and being transported to hospitals. Unverified CCTV footage appeared to capture the moment of the explosions in local shops.
A Hezbollah representative characterized the incidents as the “biggest security breach yet” since conflicts with Israel escalated 11 months ago amid the ongoing Gaza crisis.
The Israeli military has yet to issue any statement. However, this development follows Israel’s security cabinet declaring the safe return of 60,000 displaced residents in northern Israel as an official wartime objective.
A statement from the Prime Minister’s office emphasized, “The security cabinet has revised the war goals to ensure the safe return of residents in the north,” asserting that Israel will actively pursue this aim.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant indicated that military action might be necessary to facilitate the return of northern residents during discussions with a U.S. envoy. He remarked that the opportunity for a peaceful resolution is dwindling as Hezbollah continues its alliance with Hamas and neglects to deescalate tensions.
Israel has consistently reiterated its readiness for a military operation to push Hezbollah away from the border, particularly following sustained exchanges of fire since the onset of hostilities between Israel and Hamas on October 7.
Hezbollah claims its actions are in support of Hamas, with both groups receiving backing from Iran and labeled as terrorist organizations by Israel and various other nations. Since the beginning of October, at least 589 individuals, primarily Hezbollah fighters, have lost their lives, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. In contrast, the Israeli government reports casualties of 25 civilians and 21 security personnel on their side.
