Explosions in Lebanon Linked to Hungarian-Pager Manufacturer: Hezbollah Blames Israel

The pagers used in the coordinated explosions in Lebanon yesterday were manufactured by a Hungarian company, according to a statement from the Taiwanese firm Gold Apollo. Gold Apollo revealed that it has a "long-term partnership" with the Budapest-based company BAC Consulting, which produced the specific model involved in the attacks.

The pagers, which exploded simultaneously, were used by members of the pro-Iranian Lebanese group Hezbollah. The blasts resulted in nine deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries, with some injuries reported as life-threatening. Among the injured is the Iranian ambassador to Beirut. Hezbollah, known for using pagers over cellphones to avoid detection, had the devices rigged with explosives before delivery, with amounts ranging from 25 to 50 grams of explosive material.

Hezbollah has accused Israel of being behind the attacks and has vowed retaliation, while Israel has not officially commented on the situation. The Pentagon has denied any US involvement in the explosions. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Cairo attempting to broker an agreement between Israel and Hamas, with Egypt acting as a mediator. Analysts anticipate that the conflict may escalate.