Hezbollah pledges retaliation against Israel following multiple explosions across Lebanon.

Summary

Hezbollah calls the incident the biggest security breach in its ongoing conflict with Israel.

Several Hezbollah fighters are among the dead, the group confirms.

 Pagers were reportedly used to avoid Israeli tracking.

No official comment from the Israeli military or government.

Air France suspends flights to Beirut and Tel Aviv due to security concerns.

Details

On September 17, Hezbollah vowed retaliation against Israel after accusing it of detonating pagers across Lebanon. The explosions killed nine people, including fighters and Iran's envoy to Beirut, and injured nearly 3,000 others. Lebanese Information Minister Ziad Makary condemned the incident as "Israeli aggression," while Hezbollah promised "fair punishment."

Despite ongoing cross-border clashes between Hezbollah and Israel since the Gaza war started, the Israeli military declined to comment on the detonations. The death toll rose to nine, with Lebanon’s health ministry reporting 2,750 injured. Hezbollah confirmed that two of its fighters and a young girl were among the deceased.

The explosions occurred in Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, Beirut's southern suburbs, and the Bekaa Valley. Security footage showed one device detonating in a grocery store. A Hezbollah official, calling it the group's biggest security breach in a year, spoke anonymously about the severity of the incident.

Reports from *The New York Times* revealed that Israel may have hidden explosive material in Taiwanese-made pagers imported to Lebanon. These pagers, widely used by Hezbollah to evade Israeli tracking, were rigged with remote-controlled detonators. The explosions have been condemned internationally, with Hamas calling it an escalation that will only lead Israel to failure. UN officials and Washington have both voiced concern, with the U.S. urging a diplomatic solution.

Despite tensions, both sides are reluctant to escalate to full-scale war, with experts predicting an ongoing deadlock. The situation in Lebanon remains tense, with Air France suspending flights, and the Israeli military on heightened alert following these developments.