By Anna Epshtein
The Lebanese Health Ministry has declared 11 dead, more 4,000 injured, including 200 critically, as a result of numerous explosions of the communication devices of Hezbollah operatives.
Hezbollah has so far confirmed the death of nine of its operatives. In a statement published by the group, it held Israel responsible ‘for this criminal aggression’ and vowed it would receive ‘its fair punishment.’
The explosions in Lebanon began at around 3:45 am local time on Tuesday, September 17 and lasted for about an hour.
Communication devices, believed to be used by Hezbollah operatives, heated up and eventually exploded while in the hands or in the packers of their owners.
According to Lebanese media reports, the hospitals in the county are full of injured people. Many have eye injuries.
The explosions also happened in Syria, where several people were killed.
Israel has not commented on the attack.
The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) Chief of Staff, Major General Herzi Halevi, held a situation assessment Tuesday evening, with the participation of the General Staff Forum, with an emphasis on preparedness in attack and defense in all arenas. However, there was no change in the directives of the IDF Home Front Command regarding security measures and the need for the civilian population to prepare for a possible attack as of Tuesday, September 17.
Possible escalation of the conflict with Hezbollah has been in the news in Israel since the beginning of the week, when Israel’s Security Cabinet updated its official war goals to include the secure return of 60,000 evacuated northern residents to their homes. The pager attack took place just several hours after the news that Israeli security officials thwarted an assassination attempt on a former security official.
This is a developing story.
