The Incident 

On 17 September, during the afternoon hours, hundreds of pagers used by Hezbollah militants exploded in Lebanon and Syria. At least nine people were killed and over 3,000 others were injured in Lebanon. According to Saberin News, seven people were killed in Syria. The attacks have been attributed to Israel, but Israel has made no comments. The explosions occurred amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. The two sides have had frequent skirmishes across the Israel-Lebanon border since the October 7 Hamas attack that ignited the Gaza conflict. 

Technical Fault or Sabotage?

The wave of explosions began at about 15:45 hours (local time) and lasted for about an hour. According to unnamed Hezbollah officials, the pagers heated up and exploded due to lithium batteries. Other sources claimed the new pagers were the latest model and had been in circulation in recent months. The explosions are believed to have been a result of a security operation targeting the devices. Taiwanese company Gold Apollo released a statement confirming its brand on the AR-924 pagers but denied production. The devices were produced and sold by a company called BAC. Lebanon’s Health Ministry has urged people to get away from their personal pagers and avoid wireless devices.

Global Reactions and Potential Escalation

Following the attack, Hezbollah released a statement holding Israel fully responsible for the attacks. The group announced the deaths of 12 members, including some killed in separate Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon. Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon was injured due to one of the explosions. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanan condemned the attack, accusing Israel of mass murder. 

In response to the escalation, several airlines cancelled flights to Tel Aviv. German flagship carrier Lufthansa announced the suspension of all flights to Israel and Iran on and until 19 September. Lufthansa had already extended an existing suspension of flights to Beirut until 15 October. During this period, the Israeli and Iranian airspace will not be used by Lufthansa Group flights. The Lufthansa group includes SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings. Air France also announced the cancellation of flights to Israel, Lebanon, and Tehran until 19 September. Further cancellations are highly likely.

The Israeli Defence Forces have warned of a possibility of an escalation following the pager explosions. However, there have been no security changes announced for civilians. In northern Israel, Hezbollah rockets and drones remain constant for months. The ongoing war in Gaza and the border skirmishes with Lebanon are not the only factors fueling suspicion that Israel might be behind the explosions. On the day of the explosions, Israel’s Security Cabinet issued a statement designating the halting of Hezbollah’s attacks as one of its main war goals. Israel’s initial objectives included the end of Hamas in Gaza and the return of all hostages taken by Palestinian militants in October last year. 

Despite widespread speculation Israel had been behind the attack, Israeli authorities remain silent. Hezbollah authorities have vowed vengeance on Israel while reiterating their support for the Palestinian cause in Gaza. The explosions have added a new layer of tension, further complicating the already volatile situation in the region. With Hezbollah blaming Israel for the attacks and pledging retaliation, a full-blown war seems inevitable. 

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