Hezbollah vows to strike back at Israel after deadly pager attacks

At least nine killed and thousands hurt in series of blasts in Lebanon

- William Christou

Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against Israel after pagers used by its members exploded across Lebanon simultaneously, killing at least nine people and wounding almost 3,000 in a dramatic and unprecedented attack at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the blasts, which came just hours after Israel announced it was broadening the aims of the war sparked by the Hamas attacks on 7 October to include its fight against Hezbollah along the border with Lebanon.

Lebanon's health minister, Firass Abiad, said the blasts yesterday killed a 10-year-old girl, among others. "About 2,750 people were injured ... more than 200 of them critically," with injuries mostly reported to the face, hands and stomach, Abiad told a press conference.

The apparent sabotage attack followed months of targeted assassinations by Israel against senior Hezbollah leaders and came as US officials were trying to de-escalate tensions between the two sides and remain concerned that Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, could order a ground invasion of Lebanon.

It also threatens to derail efforts by the US to prevent Iran, which backs the Lebanese Shia militia, from retaliating against Israel for the July bombing in Tehran that killed Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh.

The blasts appeared to exploit the low-tech pagers that Hezbollah has adopted to prevent the targeted assassinations of its members by tracking mobile phone signals.

Those wounded in the attack include Iran's ambassador to Beirut, Mojtaba Amani, according to reports.

It also ratcheted up tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, interrupting an uneasy calm that had prevailed for three weeks since both parties appeared to step back from the brink of a regional war after a limited Hezbollah response in late August to Israel's assassination of its top military commander, Fuad. Shukur, in Beirut.