Lebanon’s leadership has warned of an extremely high risk of further violence and escalation after two days of bomb attacks on communications equipment across the country.
On Thursday, the minister told CNBC that the next 48 hours would be particularly dangerous.
Thousands of communications devices, including pagers and two-way radios, used by members of the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah exploded on Tuesday and Wednesday in an apparent act of widespread destruction that killed and injured people. At least 37 people were injured and at least 3,000 injured.
Hezbollah called the act “Israeli aggression”; at the same time, Israel has not yet commented on the explosion. Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was injured in the attack, and the son of a Hezbollah lawmaker was killed in the attack. Among the victims were children.
Lebanese Economy Minister said: “This is definitely a very serious escalation. I don’t think any escalation will lead to provocation, which is what we are most worried about, because what happened yesterday will only trigger a further escalation of the conflict.” Amin Sa Amin Salam told CNBC’s Dan Murphy on Thursday.
“This is going to be a very, very, very dangerous… 48 hours and the country is going to see how the response is.”
Shiite Hezbollah also dominates much of Lebanese politics, and the group is engaged in almost daily fighting with Israel in the south. The group has now vowed revenge, raising fears of an all-out war in a region already ravaged by conflict.
Hezbollah has launched thousands of rockets In October last year, Israel launched a war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza. In the past 12 months, Israel has carried out retaliatory shooting, killing hundreds of Hezbollah fighters and dozens of Lebanese civilians. Tens of thousands of people on both sides of the Lebanese-Israeli border have been evacuated from their homes.
“unparalleled unity”
Salam said the attacks succeeded in uniting many Lebanese in support of Hezbollah, even though many in the country generally oppose the group.
“This caused a huge, huge reaction, even among the Lebanese people who were against Hezbollah, and now they are even more committed to supporting Hezbollah,” the minister said.
“As a result, the provocation moved from one entity in Lebanon to the entire country. Yesterday, we witnessed an unprecedented unity among Lebanese political parties in response to what happened.”
“I think yesterday broke all the rules, all the boundaries,” Salam added. “This goes beyond the scope because in Lebanon this is considered an act of terror… That’s why I’m very concerned that this will lead to further violence, which will definitely escalate the situation.”
Lebanese army soldiers stand guard near a hospital (not pictured) in Beirut on September 17, 2024, as cross-border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah militants continued following explosions in several Hezbollah strongholds around Lebanon.
Anwar Amro | AFP | Getty Images
CNBC also spoke to Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad, who said the attack and the subsequent high number of casualties had impacted the country’s hospital system.
After the first wave of equipment explosions, “we had about 2,800 patients sent to the emergency room, and 12 people died,” Abiad said. “We have nearly 300 patients in critical condition, and nearly 450 patients who require surgery due to eye injuries, hand injuries, amputations… More than 90 hospitals are participating in receiving patients.”
The attacks have dealt a heavy blow to Lebanon’s already fragile infrastructure and economy, which suffers daily power outages, while the country’s economy, one of the most indebted in the world, has endured a series of crises in recent years. crisis.
“We are working in a low-resource environment,” Abiad said. “If this escalates seriously, it will put a huge strain on the health system. There’s no doubt about it.”
A Lebanese army soldier flags down an ambulance to take the injured to hospital after explosions rocked several Hezbollah strongholds around Lebanon on September 17, 2024, as cross-border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah fighters continued. .
Anwar Amro | AFP | Getty Images
As Israel reportedly moves more troops and military equipment further north to the Lebanese border region, U.S. officials are working to find a diplomatic solution to avoid an all-out war. Just hours before the first wave of devices, pagers, began to explode, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to return residents of northern Israel who were evacuated last year to their homes.
On Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said Israel’s focus had shifted to the northern front, beginning a “new phase” in the war. The Times of Israel reported earlier in the day that the IDF 98th Division was deploying to northern Israel after months of fighting in the Gaza Strip.
Abiad said: “The Lebanese government’s position has been very clear from day one. Lebanon does not want war… We believe that a diplomatic solution is the best option.”
“But unfortunately, what we’ve seen over the past two days is an escalation… I’m not sure that’s going to help us reach a diplomatic solution.”
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