The Lebanese government and Hezbollah have accused Israel of orchestrating the explosion of thousands of pager devices. While Israel has remained silent, American media outlets reported that Tel Aviv allegedly replaced the pager batteries with explosives and detonated them remotely. In addition to the pager explosions, further blasts involving walkie-talkie devices occurred the next day.
These explosions have further destabilized an already vulnerable healthcare system in Lebanon, pushing hospitals to their limits as they deal with an overwhelming number of injured patients. The blasts, which physically damaged numerous medical institutions, have also worsened critical shortages of medical supplies, equipment, and basic services, leaving the country in a precarious situation.
According to the United Nations, Lebanese health authorities recorded 37 deaths and over 3,000 injuries as a result of the blasts.
“These events have seriously disrupted Lebanon’s already fragile health system,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated during a press briefing.
The international organization has provided blood supplies and trauma kits to help the country’s ailing medical facilities.
Youssef, a phone shop owner in Ouzai, southern Beirut, described the chaos.
“I heard consecutive explosions in the street, so I rushed out thinking it was a chase or a shooting. But I was shocked to see a young man lying on the ground, his face bleeding profusely. It was clear he had lost both his eyes.”
He continued:
“I called for an ambulance, but it didn’t arrive until 35 minutes later. Citizens gathered around the injured man, and we were furious at the slow response and disregard for human life. Later, we learned that thousands were injured and killed at the same moment, putting the ambulance services in a dire situation.”
“The scene was indescribable,” Youssef shared with DevelopmentAid. “The injured were everywhere, and the sirens of ambulances transporting victims filled us with panic. Some young men were transporting the injured on motorcycles, and nearby hospitals couldn’t accommodate the numbers.”
Batoul Abbas, from the Bekaa Valley, was shopping with her husband and daughters when a walkie-talkie her husband was using suddenly exploded, severely injuring him.
“My husband lost three fingers on his right hand and his right eye, and he suffered severe burns to his face and neck,” Batoul told DevelopmentAid. “After taking him to the hospital, they told us there was a shortage of specialized medical services. I hoped they could treat his eye, but the injury was too severe.”
She continued, “My daughters were terrified. The younger one was traumatized after seeing her father’s fingers scattered on the ground and still can’t speak.”
Dr. Elias Waraq, an ophthalmologist, stated that he had to remove more injured eyes in a single night than in his entire career.
“It was incredibly challenging,” he continued. “The majority of the casualties were young adults; in a few instances, I had to amputate both eyes. What I saw that night was unlike anything I had ever seen before in my entire life.”
Lebanon’s healthcare system has long been under strain, exacerbated by the influx of 1.5 million Syrian refugees, ongoing hostilities in the south, and serious shortages of medical professionals, equipment, and essential health supplies. WHO has highlighted the urgency of sustainable financing and external support to ensure access to basic health services for all. The Ministry of Public Health and its partners are struggling to maintain positive health outcomes while pursuing the necessary reforms.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s caretaker government, operating with a limited budget, a divided parliament, and without a president, has been preparing for potential emergencies. Caretaker Health Minister Firas Abiad noted that healthcare facilities have been forced to cut costs by minimizing inventories, though they have now stockpiled up to four months of critical supplies.
