On September 17, 2024, as cross-border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah militants continued, explosions occurred in several Hezbollah strongholds around Lebanon, and an ambulance took the injured to a hospital in Beirut.
Anwar Amro | AFP | Getty Images
Dozens of people were injured on Tuesday when handheld pagers exploded in suburban Beirut and other parts of Lebanon, state media and security officials said. It was unclear whether anyone was killed.
A senior military intelligence official and a Lebanese group official with knowledge of the situation said pagers carried by Hezbollah members were detonated. A second official said it was believed to be an Israeli attack.
The Associated Press contacted the Israeli military, which declined to comment.
Photos and videos circulating on social media and local media from Beirut’s southern suburbs showed people lying on sidewalks with wounds on their hands or near their trouser pockets.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has previously warned members of the group not to carry mobile phones, saying Israel could use them to track their movements and carry out targeted attacks.
The Lebanese Health Ministry called on all hospitals to be vigilant in admitting emergency patients and to keep people with pagers away from them. It also asked health workers to avoid using wireless devices.
An Associated Press photographer at a local hospital said emergency rooms were packed with patients, many with injuries to their limbs, some seriously.
Hospitals in southern Lebanon, the eastern Bekaa Valley and southern Beirut suburbs – all areas where Hezbollah has a strong presence – appealed for donations of blood of all types, the state-run state news agency said.
The news agency reported that “handheld pager systems were detonated using advanced technology in Beirut’s southern suburbs and other areas, and dozens of people were reportedly injured”.
A Hezbollah official said that at least 150 people, including members of the group, were injured when their pagers exploded in different parts of Lebanon. The official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the explosion was the result of “security operations targeting the equipment.”
“The enemy (Israel) is behind this security incident,” the official said, without elaborating. He added that the new pagers carried by Hezbollah members had lithium batteries that apparently exploded.
Lithium batteries can smoke, melt, or even catch fire when they overheat. Rechargeable lithium batteries are used in consumer products ranging from cell phones and laptops to electric vehicles. Lithium battery fires can reach temperatures up to 590 C (1,100 F).
The incident comes as tensions rise between Lebanon and Israel. Against the backdrop of a war between Israel and Hezbollah’s ally Hamas in Gaza, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israeli forces have clashed almost daily for more than 11 months.
The conflict has killed hundreds in Lebanon and dozens in Israel, and displaced tens of thousands on both sides of the border. On Tuesday, Israel said it had now halted Hezbollah attacks in the north and allowed residents to return to their homes. formal war objectives.
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