Dozens of Hezbollah members injured by exploding pagers

Hundreds of members of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah were reportedly injured when the hand pagers they used to communicate exploded.

Lebanon’s state news agency reported that explosions occurred in Beirut’s southern suburbs and several other areas. Hezbollah’s al-Manar television station also reported that many pagers exploded, but did not name the injured.

Videos and photos on social media appeared to show injured people sitting or lying on the ground and others being taken to hospitals. Unconfirmed surveillance footage showed explosions in shops.

A Hezbollah official told Reuters that it was the “biggest security breach so far” since hostilities with Israel escalated 11 months ago, parallel to the Gaza war.

There was initially no comment from the Israeli military.

However, these events occurred just hours after the Israeli security cabinet declared the safe return of the 60,000 residents displaced from the north by Hezbollah attacks as an official war goal.

“The Security Cabinet has updated the objectives of the war and expanded them to include the following: The residents of the north must return safely to their homes,” the Prime Minister’s Office said. “Israel will continue to take measures to implement this goal.”

On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said at a meeting with US envoy Amos Hochstein that the only way for the return of the residents of northern Israel was through “military action.”

“The possibility of an agreement is fading as Hezbollah continues to cling to Hamas and refuses to end the conflict,” his office said in a statement.

Israel has repeatedly warned that it could launch a military operation to drive Hezbollah away from the border.

Since October 7, the day after the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip began, there have been almost daily exchanges of fire across the border.

Hezbollah has said it supports the Palestinian group. Both are backed by Iran and are designated as terrorist organizations by Israel, Britain and other countries.

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least 589 people have been killed since October – the vast majority of them Hezbollah fighters.

On the Israeli side, 25 civilians and 21 members of the security forces were killed, the Israeli government said.