Covert pager explosions shake Lebanon, escalate regional tensions

New Delhi, Sep 18: A series of explosions across Lebanon on Tuesday has left nine people dead, including a child, and more than 2,800 wounded, according to Lebanon’s Health Minister. The blasts were caused by handheld pagers, used by Hezbollah fighters for communication, (as they did not trust mobile phones that can be traced or hacked) that exploded almost simultaneously in Beirut and other regions.

The Lebanese government, alongside Hezbollah, has blamed Israel for the attack, calling it "criminal Israeli aggression."

The explosions, described by security analysts as unprecedented and extraordinary, appear to be part of a coordinated Israeli operation aimed at Hezbollah’s core communication channels. Israel has not commented on the allegations. The blasts come as the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel worsened in the last few months. No day passes when there is a violent incident on the border or in each other’s country. Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati called the attack a "serious violation of Lebanese sovereignty." According to the BBC, Hezbollah has vowed retribution, warning Israel it will "get its just retribution."

The attack appears to be a sophisticated joint operation by Israel’s Mossad and military forces, CNN reported. Hundreds of pagers used by Hezbollah operatives detonated after receiving a message, causing mass casualties and widespread panic. Israeli intelligence sources to the New York Times suggested the pagers were planted with explosives by Israeli operatives after being purchased by Hezbollah.

This operation is one of Israel’s unique yet, targeting Hezbollah’s ability to communicate in real-time. “This is a significant coup,” David Des Roches, a professor at the National Défense University in the U.S., told Al Jazeera. “Individual Hezbollah fighters will no longer trust their own equipment, which weakens their operational capacity.”

The explosions follow Israel’s recent decision to expand its war goals in Gaza, with Israeli officials citing the need to return citizens displaced by Hezbollah’s attacks in northern Israel.

Hezbollah’s Response and Escalating Tensions

Hezbollah, a militant group backed by Iran, has faced operational setbacks since the explosion. As Al Jazeera reported, this incident marks a major security breach, undermining Hezbollah's communications infrastructure, which had allowed it to fight as a networked organization. According to the Wall Street Journal, Hezbollah fighters had reported the devices heating up just before they exploded, suggesting the possibility of remote detonation technology.

The Lebanese government’s condemnation of Israel was swift, with Prime Minister Mikati calling the explosions “a crime by all standards.” Iran, too, has expressed outrage, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denouncing the attack as “Israeli terrorism,” according to BBC reports.

However, despite the loss of life and equipment, Hezbollah’s retaliation remains foreseeable. Nicholas Blanford, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, warned of the grave consequences. "Hezbollah's leaders will now face extreme pressure from the ranks and supporters to retaliate heavily," he told the BBC. This, he said, could push the region into a dangerous escalation.

The Wider Context of Israel-Hezbollah Conflict

The explosion of the pagers is symbolic of the broader, ongoing cyberwarfare and intelligence operations between Israel and Hezbollah. For months, Hezbollah and Israel have been locked in a tit-for-tat exchange along their shared border, and the latest blasts signal a new phase in this proxy war. As noted by Lina Khatib, an analyst at Chatham House, Israel has been ramping up cyber operations against Hezbollah for months, but the scale of this attack is unprecedented as reported by the BBC.

The New York Times reported that the pagers were part of a new shipment, purchased by Hezbollah through a European distributor of Taiwanese communications manufacturer Gold Apollo. Israeli intelligence, it seems, embedded explosives into the devices before they reached Hezbollah operatives. Gold Apollo’s founder, Hsu Ching-kuang, expressed shock at the turn of events, confirming that his company had sold the pagers but claiming no knowledge of how the devices were compromised.

The Regional Implications

The explosions have heightened tensions across the region. Hezbollah’s extensive influence in Syria, where it has been involved in the country’s civil war alongside government forces, suggests that the impact of the attack may spread beyond Lebanon. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that several Hezbollah fighters in Syria were injured by similar pager explosions.

With the situation escalating, the United Nations has voiced concern. The UN’s spokesman described the events in Lebanon as "extremely concerning," especially in the context of the volatile political and military situation across the Middle East.

For Israel, this operation sends a clear message to Hezbollah: it is not only prepared but also capable of striking at Hezbollah’s operational heart. "We can reach you anywhere, anytime, at the day and moment of our choosing, and we can do it at the press of a button," CNN’s John Miller said, interpreting Israel's intention behind the pager detonations

A Dangerous Moment

As Hezbollah grapples with this security breach, the risk of further escalation looms. “This is the most dangerous moment in the Hezbollah-Israel conflict since October,” Nicholas Blanford said, referencing the growing fears of a larger conflict.

The Hezbollah-Israel conflict, long fuelled by proxy battles and intelligence warfare, has entered a new phase. With Hezbollah vowing retaliation, Israel bracing for potential fallout, and the region on edge, the question is no longer if more blood will be shed, but when and where the next strike will fall.

This event is likely to become a major test of regional alliances and may prompt global actors, including the United States and Russia, and other global leaders and international multilateral organisations to increase diplomatic efforts in the hopes of containing the crisis. As the region braces for Hezbollah’s response, Israel has shown that it still is prepared to face the brunt and has asked its citizens to remain cautious.