Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad reported that 12 people, including two children, were killed in a series of pager explosions across Lebanon. The blasts, which occurred on Tuesday, also left between 2,750 and 2,800 people wounded.
The pagers exploded simultaneously in various locations, including Hezbollah’s strongholds in southern Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon. The explosions happened hours after Israel announced an expansion of its Gaza war strategy to target Hezbollah.
The toll was revised from an initial nine dead following further verification with hospitals. The casualties include a girl and a boy, as well as four health workers from private hospitals in Beirut.
Lebanon’s hospitals were overwhelmed, with around 2,800 wounded arriving within half an hour. Approximately 750 of the injured were in the south, 150 in the Bekaa Valley, and 1,850 in Beirut and its southern suburbs. About 300 patients are in critical condition, with some suffering severe injuries.
Some injured individuals from the Bekaa Valley have been transferred to Syria, while others are being evacuated to Iran.
