Wednesday Briefing: Exploding Pagers Kill at Least 9 in Lebanon

Hundreds of pagers blew up at approximately the same time across Lebanon yesterday, killing at least nine people, including an 8-year-old girl, and wounding more than 2,700, according to the health minister.

Hezbollah said pagers belonging to its members had exploded, and accused Israel of being responsible. The Israeli military declined to comment. We have live updates.

Earlier this week, Israeli leaders warned that they were considering stepping up their military campaign against Hezbollah. Concerns have grown for months that a larger war could erupt between Israel and Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran. Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon was also wounded when a pager he was carrying exploded.

At the scene: Witnesses reported seeing smoke coming from people’s pockets, followed by small blasts that sounded like fireworks or gunshots. Videos show widespread chaos, with people being knocked off their feet and others sustaining gruesome injuries.

Details: Senior members of Hezbollah have used pagers for years, but the practice became more widespread after the Oct. 7 attacks, security experts said. During yesterday’s attack, the pagers were programmed to beep for several seconds and then explode.