Several people were killed and thousands were injured as a large number of pagers exploded around Lebanon on Tuesday.

According to the country’s Ministry of Health, nine people were killed and around 2,800 were injured as thousands of pagers suddenly exploded around the country on Tuesday afternoon. The condition of around 200 of the injured is reported to be critical.

According to the state news agency NNA, the pagers were made to explode using “advanced technology”.

Israel gets the blame

The Lebanese government blames Israel for the pager explosions. “This dangerous and deliberate Israeli escalation follows Israeli threats to greatly expand the scope of the war against Lebanon,” said a statement from the country’s foreign ministry.

The Israeli government has not commented on the accusation, but reiterated a statement late yesterday that it is working to allow Israelis who have been forced to flee due to rocket attacks from Lebanon to return to their homes.

Following the Hamas-led Palestinian terrorist attack on Israel in October last year, the conflict between Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Israel has escalated, with almost daily Israeli air strikes on targets in Lebanon. The Shia Muslim terrorist militia has also fired rockets at northern Israel.

Israeli media speculate that Israel is preparing for a new invasion of its northern neighbor. Israel has previously invaded Lebanon in 1978 and, with the support of the country’s Christian minority, occupied the southern parts of the country until 2000.