At least 9 dead and around 3,000 injured in the explosion of Hezbollah members' pagers in Lebanon and Syria

News sources reported that nearly 3,000 people, including hundreds of Hezbollah members, were injured following the sudden explosion of pagers in Lebanon. The Lebanese Minister of Health stated that at least 9 individuals, including a child, were killed and about 2,800 others were injured in the explosions on Tuesday. According to the Associated Press, Firas Al-Abyad noted that the condition of about 200 of the injured is 'critical.' However, CNN reported that Hezbollah announced at least three people were killed and many others were injured. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 14 pro-Iranian militants, including members of Hezbollah, were transferred to hospitals in the Damascus and Rif Dimashq provinces due to injuries from the pager explosion. This London-based organization indicated that the nationality of these militants is unclear. Meanwhile, the Telegram channel 'Saberin News' reported that 7 people were injured in 'Zainabiyah,' Syria, due to the pager explosion. Government news agencies reported that Mojtaba Amani, the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, was injured in the pager explosion, although the extent of his injuries is not yet known. Nevertheless, his wife stated on social media that he was 'slightly injured' but is 'doing well and has passed through it...' According to 'Al-Nashra' in Lebanon, the explosion of the pagers was due to 'intelligence infiltrations.' Meanwhile, Reuters reported, citing an unnamed Hezbollah official, that the pager explosions were 'the largest security breach' the group has faced in nearly a year of conflict with Israel. The pagers were purchased after a warning from Hassan Nasrallah. Hospitals in southern Lebanon, the eastern Bekaa Valley, and the southern suburbs of Beirut, areas where Hezbollah has a strong presence, have called on residents to donate blood. The news agency also reported that the exploded pagers were the latest model that Hezbollah had imported in recent months. Additionally, the Associated Press noted that the exploded pagers were recently purchased following Hassan Nasrallah's orders to group members to stop using their mobile phones, as he warned that Hezbollah members' phones could be tracked by Israeli intelligence. One Hezbollah official told the Associated Press that the pagers were of a new model that the group had not used before. Reuters cited a Hezbollah source stating that Hassan Nasrallah was unharmed in these explosions. The Associated Press reported that emergency rooms in hospitals were filled with individuals injured from the pager explosions, with some in critical condition. According to the report, the Lebanese news agency announced that hospitals in southern Lebanon, the eastern Bekaa Valley, and the southern suburbs of Beirut have asked residents to donate blood. Earlier, a security source told Reuters that pager explosions were also reported in southern Lebanon. Reports indicate that the Lebanese Ministry of Health has requested hospitals to be 'fully on standby' for emergency cases and 'asked people to stay away from wireless devices.' There have also been various posts on social media regarding these explosions, which Voice of America cannot independently verify at this time. Meanwhile, AFP reported that hundreds of Hezbollah members were injured in the pager explosion, and a ten-year-old daughter of a member of this group was killed due to the explosion of her father's pager. The news agency did not name this Hezbollah member but obtained the information through the family of the girl and sources close to Hezbollah. The Iranian government, Hezbollah, the Lebanese government, and Hamas have pointed fingers at Israel. Hezbollah and the Lebanese Minister of Information, Ziad Makari, have held Israel responsible for these explosions, while the Israeli army has refrained from commenting on Reuters' investigation into the explosions. Nevertheless, Hezbollah has threatened to respond. The Lebanese Foreign Ministry announced that it is preparing a complaint to the United Nations Security Council regarding what it termed an 'Israeli cyber attack.' Meanwhile, the government news agency IRNA reported that Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Foreign Minister, claimed in a phone conversation with his Lebanese counterpart, Abdullah Bou Habib, that Israel has targeted 'Lebanese citizens.' This comes as Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed group, Lebanese officials, and global news agencies have acknowledged that the explosions targeted Hezbollah members' pagers. Abbas Araghchi expressed readiness to provide any 'assistance and support' from Iran for 'treating the injured or transferring them to Tehran.' Hamas, the Iranian-backed group that initiated attacks on Israel last October, also attributed the pager explosions in Lebanon to Israel and condemned the country. On the other hand, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that senior security officials in Israel have been summoned for an emergency cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv. This emergency meeting is set to discuss potential security plans in the event of tensions in northern Israel. In this context, the Israeli army announced on Tuesday night that Herzi Halevi, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, emphasized Israel's readiness to attack and defend in all arenas during a meeting with senior military commanders. The Israeli army also stated that at this stage, there is no change in civilian-related instructions but urged the public to remain vigilant. The Israeli army indicated that if conditions change, the internal command instructions will be updated immediately. The United States stated that it was not involved in the pager explosions. Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, announced on Tuesday that Washington had no involvement in the pager explosions and was unaware of them. He added that the U.S. is gathering information on the matter in the same way that journalists around the world are collecting facts about what may have happened. Meanwhile, Stéphane Dujarric, a spokesperson for the United Nations, stated that developments in Lebanon are very concerning given what he termed 'very unstable conditions.' The Israeli internal security service (Shin Bet) announced on Tuesday that it had thwarted a 'Hezbollah plot' to assassinate a senior former military official that was planned for the coming days. Shin Bet did not name this official but stated that a device connected to a remote detonation system using a mobile phone and camera was discovered and seized, which Hezbollah intended to use to carry out operations from Lebanon. Shin Bet did not provide further details but noted that this action was similar to Hezbollah's plan in Tel Aviv that was thwarted a year ago. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by several Western countries, although some countries are reluctant to sanction the political branch of the group, fearing that such actions would lead to further instability in Lebanon and disrupt contact with government officials. Hezbollah was established in 1982 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Several countries, including the United States, Israel, Germany, Serbia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Australia, have recognized the group as a terrorist organization. Recognizing Hezbollah as a terrorist organization means not distinguishing between its political and military branches and labeling both as terrorist entities. Israel and Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed group, have been exchanging fire along the Lebanon border since last October, which is considered the most intense of its kind in two decades. This border conflict was in support of Hamas, the Iranian-backed group, which attacked Israel last October. As a result of the Hezbollah-Israel conflict, tens of thousands of people from cities and villages on both sides of the border have left their homes. At the same time, Israel has announced the official war goal of adding the 'safe return' of its citizens to their homes near the border with Lebanon. Hezbollah claims that only the end of the war in Gaza can halt the fighting, while efforts to establish a ceasefire in Gaza after months of negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. have yet to yield results. Farzin Nedimi: The explosion of Hezbollah's pagers is a military-grade cyber offensive. Shin Bet: Hezbollah's plot to assassinate a former military official has been thwarted.