A series of pager explosions in Lebanon on Tuesday killed at least eight people and injured 2750, the country's health minister said. Hundreds of members of the Shiite militant group Hezbollah were among the casualties, according to security forces. The blasts came as tensions between Israel and Hezbollah escalate amid fighting in the Gaza Strip.

The situation escalated after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said one of the goals of the Israeli operation was now the "safe return of residents of northern Israel to their homes," from where they were forced to evacuate due to shelling and shooting on the border with Lebanon.

According to local sources, the explosions were caused by a cyber attack, allegedly carried out by Israeli forces, on devices that are actively used by Hezbollah members to coordinate their activities. The blast wave engulfed several regions of Lebanon, including Beirut and the southern provinces where the group’s main forces are concentrated. The explosions were a serious blow to its infrastructure, as well as to the civilian population that suffered from these actions.

The Israeli side has not yet made any official comments regarding the explosions, but experts note that such actions could be part of a broader strategy aimed at undermining Hezbollah's ability to coordinate its forces in the context of an escalating conflict.