At least nine people, including a young girl, were killed and 2,750 others were injured in a series of simultaneous explosions involving pagers used by Hezbollah members across Lebanon.
Hezbollah, a militant group based in Lebanon, has placed the blame squarely on Israel for these deadly blasts. Despite this accusation, Israel has yet to make any formal comment on the incident.
This is a part of the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which has intensified since the Gaza war began in early October.
The war on Gaza has claimed a number of lives, with reports stating that more than 11,000 students have been killed in the Gaza Strip and West Bank since October 7, according to the Palestinian Education Ministry.
In total, the conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 41,252 people and injured 95,497 in Gaza.
On the Israeli side, at least 1,139 people were killed during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, with more than 200 individuals taken captive.
Rich Outzen, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, suggests that the pager explosions in Lebanon could have been the result of either cyber sabotage or physical tampering.
He explained that the devices could have been rigged with malware during manufacturing or infiltrated by attackers who planted explosives.
Outzen indicated that the scale of the attack and the number of injuries could signal something larger is being planned.
Meanwhile, Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, reaffirmed that while civilians should never be targeted, members of terrorist organizations are legitimate military targets.
Miller emphasized that all parties in the region, including Israel and Hezbollah, should work to prevent further escalation of the conflict.
Among those killed in the explosion was the son of a Hezbollah lawmaker, while two other sons of high-ranking officials were wounded.
One of the dead, Mahdi Ammar, was the son of prominent Hezbollah legislator Ali Ammar.
Speaking to the Associated Press, Ammar denounced the explosions as Israeli aggression and promised that Hezbollah would retaliate “at the right time.”
The U.S. continues to advocate for a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre stressed that the situation requires diplomatic efforts from all regional actors.
In response, Hamas condemned the explosions, describing them as a “crime that defies all laws,” and placed full responsibility on the Israeli government.
The group expressed its support for Hezbollah, commending their efforts and sacrifices in backing the Palestinian people against Israel.
Despite the ongoing violence, Hamas stated that such acts would not diminish the resolve of the Palestinian resistance.
