'Terrorist Act, Mass Murder': Iran Hits Out At Israel, Hezbollah Vows Payback After Deadly Pager Blasts

Iran has accused Israel of “mass murder” after hundreds of paging devices owned by the Tehran-aligned Hezbollah group in Lebanon exploded, killing 11 people and wounding nearly 4,000 others.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Israel’s foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani “condemned the terrorist act of the Zionist regime… as an example of mass murder.” This response came hours after Hezbollah promised to punish Israel for a deadly attack in which hundreds of paging devices used by the militant group’s members exploded almost simultaneously across Lebanon.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the wave of explosions that also killed the 10-year-old daughter of a Hezbollah member. Kanaani, while expressing sympathy and solidarity with the government and people of the allied country, emphasised that Iran is ready to provide “any necessary assistance” to Lebanon.

Hamas’s October 7 Attack

The attack came just hours after Israel announced it was broadening the aims of the war in Gaza sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attacks. The Netanyahu government has said that Israel will include its fight against the Palestinian group’s ally Hezbollah along the country’s border with Lebanon.

“We hold the Israeli enemy fully responsible for this criminal aggression,” the group said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that Israel “will certainly receive its just punishment for this sinful aggression”. On Wednesday, the group vowed in another statement on Telegram it would continue its fight in support of Gaza while reiterating it would avenge Tuesday’s blasts.

Iranian ambassador to Lebanon

The wave of blasts has critically wounded 200, Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said Tuesday.  In Tuesday’s attack, Iranian ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani lost one eye and his other was seriously wounded when a pager he was carrying exploded yesterday. Amani’s injuries are more serious than initially reported, and he would be taken to Tehran for treatment.

“This was more than lithium batteries being forced into override,” said Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute. “A small plastic explosive was almost certainly concealed alongside the battery, for remote detonation via a call or page.” Israel’s spy agency “Mossad infiltrated the supply chain”, he said.

(With agency inputs)