In Lebanon, pagers detonate, resulting in the injuries of hundreds of Hezbollah members, according to a security source

On Tuesday, the pagers that Hezbollah employs to communicate were destroyed by an explosion, resulting in the serious injuries of hundreds of members, including combatants and medics, according to a security source who spoke with Reuters.

The detonation of the pagers, according to a Hezbollah official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, was the “largest security breach” the group had experienced in nearly a year of conflict with Israel.

Israel and Hezbollah have been involved in cross-border warfare since the Gaza conflict erupted last October, culminating in the most severe escalation in years. The explosions occurred amidst heightened violence.

No prompt response was provided by the Israeli military to inquiries regarding the detonations from Reuters.

Ambulances were observed rushing through the southern suburbs of the capital, Beirut, by a Reuters correspondent, amid a widespread state of panic. Explosions were reported by residents to be occurring even 30 minutes after the initial detonation. The source of security also mentioned that devices were igniting in the southern region of Lebanon.

According to a correspondent from Reuters, individuals congregated at the entrances of buildings to ascertain the well-being of individuals they knew who may have sustained injuries.

A small portable device that was placed next to a grocery store cashier, where an individual was paying, spontaneously exploded, as indicated by CCTV footage carried by regional broadcasters. A person who was standing at a produce stand in a market area was apparently knocked out by an explosion in other footage.

The health ministry’s crisis operations center in Lebanon has requested that all medical personnel report to their respective institutions to assist in the massive influx of injured individuals seeking urgent care. It was stated that pagers should not be used by health care personnel.

The missiles were launched by Hezbollah at Israel immediately following the attacks by Hamas gunmen on Israel on October 7. Hezbollah and Israel have been engaging in a continuous exchange of fire since that time, all the while averting a significant escalation in the conflict that is currently underway in Gaza to the south.

Hostilities have resulted in the displacement of tens of thousands of individuals from towns and villages on both sides of the frontier.