(Bloomberg) -- Iran-backed Hezbollah accused Israel of orchestrating an attack that killed several people and left almost 3,000 wounded across Lebanon, increasing fears of an all-out war.
Israel didn’t comment on Tuesday’s events, which left hundreds of members of the Hezbollah militant group injured. The two sides have exchanged fire on a near-daily basis for much of the last year, with tensions rising over the past several weeks.
A string of medical emergencies were reported Tuesday afternoon following the mysterious explosion of thousands of pagers used by Lebanese people, including members of the militant group.
Hezbollah and Lebanon’s government were both quick to describe the events as an Israeli attack, with the former vowing to respond. Israel declined to comment. American officials said Tuesday that the US was neither involved nor informed in advance of the pagers incident.
The United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said in a statement that nine people had been killed, including children, calling the episode “an extremely concerning escalation” and adding that under international humanitarian law “civilians are not a target and must be protected at all times.”
The wireless devices likely overheated before the blasts took place, indicating “foul play,” Lebanon’s Telecommunications Minister Johnny Corm told Bloomberg. Experts theorized the pagers had been modified earlier in the supply chain before delivery, possibly including planting explosives that could be triggered remotely.
Oil prices rose on traders’ concern the deadly blasts would reignite geopolitical tensions.
If the blasts were carried out by Israel, it would mark one of the most sophisticated attacks ever executed by either of the two parties, which have been fighting in intermittent clashes for around four decades. Pagers, which have been largely obsolete in the West for several years, are popular among Hezbollah fighters, who believe they can avoid interceptions by Israeli intelligence thanks to their low-tech nature.
Late Tuesday the New York Times cited US and other officials it didn’t identify as saying Israel was responsible for the operation and that it had planted small amounts of explosives in the pagers, which had been sourced from Taiwan.
Gold Apollo Co., a small closely-held Taiwanese company identified in some media reports as the manufacturer of the pagers that exploded, denied that it made the devices.
“Those devices aren’t ours,” said a company official, asking not to be named before a formal statement. The person added that Gold Apollo licenses its brand to at least one other company, without providing more details. Such devices could be modified after being exported, Taiwan’s economy ministry said in a statement, citing the company.
The New York Times report said the pagers got a message at 3:30 pm local time that appeared to be from Hezbollah leadership just before the explosives detonated.
About 1,500 members of Hezbollah were wounded in the attacks, according to a Lebanese military official with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue.
While that’s probably one of the biggest single-day casualties for the group, it would hardly make a dent in its fighting force, believed to be around 100,000.
“These pagers were detonated with high-tech by the Israeli enemy,” Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim Mousawi told the group’s television channel. Lebanon Information Minister Ziyad Makari called the attack “a serious violation of Lebanese sovereignty and a crime by all standards.”
The alleged attack adds to tensions that have been building since July when Israel assassinated a key commander of the organization in Beirut. Hezbollah has vowed to avenge the death, which was quickly followed by the killing in Tehran of the political leader of Hamas, which carried out last October’s assault on Israel and is also backed by the Islamic Republic.
While Israel hasn’t claimed or denied responsibility for the killing of the Hamas figure, Iran’s promises of a retaliation raised the fears of a widening war in the Middle East. Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are increasingly warning that a full-on war against Hezbollah is inevitable.
Late Monday, the Israeli cabinet said enabling residents displaced by Hezbollah attacks to return home is now a formal war objective, signaling the country is closer to a large-scale offensive.
Tens of thousands of civilians have been evacuated in southern Lebanon and northern Israel because of the skirmishes, which began after the Israel-Hamas war erupted in Gaza.
US Push
The US has been trying to calm tensions between Hezbollah and Israel. Amos Hochstein, one of President Joe Biden’s senior Middle East advisers, met Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Israel on Monday.
He told Netanyahu the US doesn’t believe a broader conflict in Lebanon will help northern Israelis return to their homes and, if anything, will risk a wider regional war, according to an American official, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive matters.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the incident underscored the urgency of a diplomatic solution to the conflict on Israel’s northern border, which “has gone on for way too long,” as well as the war in Gaza.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Cairo early Wednesday morning and is scheduled to meet top Egyptian officials including President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Egypt has been a key moderator in peace talks with Israel and Hamas.
During Tuesday’s blasts, 2,750 people were hurt and eight were confirmed dead, according to Lebanese authorities. About 200 of those injured were in critical condition. Hezbollah said two of its members were killed, including the son of a lawmaker.
The explosions took place mainly in the southern suburbs of Beirut, where Hezbollah has a strong presence.
Blood Donations
Lebanese authorities called for blood donations and asked hospital staffs across the country to report to duty. One of Beirut’s main hospitals said it was at full capacity and urged people to go elsewhere for treatment.
Television footage from Beirut showed a man covered in blood sitting on the ground as many others apparently wounded in the explosions were being carried away. The Lebanese Red Cross said more than 50 ambulances were dispatched.
--With assistance from Marissa Newman, Jenny Leonard, Courtney McBride, Augusta Saraiva, Jane Lanhee Lee, Cindy Wang and Iain Marlow.
(Adds Blinken’s arrival in region and Taiwan pager company’s denial starting from 10th paragraph.)
