The United Nations has said, pager explosions across Lebanon marked an extremely concerning escalation. UN special coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert urged all concerned actors to refrain from any further action, which could trigger a wider conflagration that nobody can afford. Hennis-Plasschaert underlined the urgency of restoring calm and called on all concerned actors to prioritise stability as paramount.
The development comes as US officials try to de-escalate tensions between Israel and Hezbollah and could derail US efforts to prevent Iran from retaliating against Israel for the July bombing in Tehran.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry put hospitals across the country on “maximum alert” and instructed citizens to distance themselves from wireless communication devices. Hezbollah maintains its own communication network separate from the rest of Lebanon.