Israel is on high alert after thousands of Hezbollah fighters across Lebanon were injured by their pagers on Tuesday — in what might be the opening salvo of a major escalation, dousing White House hopes for Mideast calm before the November election.  

The Lebanese health minister, Firass Abiad, told reporters 2,800 people were injured and eight killed when the pagers exploded after messages were sent to them. Some reports put the injury figure at more than 3,000, including top Hezbollah commanders and the Iranian ambassador to Beirut, Mojtaba Amani. A Hezbollah member of parliament, Ali Ammar, said his son was killed in the event.  

The unprecedented operation could prove damaging to the morale of Hezbollah’s fighters and could influence decision-making at Tehran as well. Although Mr. Amani was reportedly only lightly injured, his possession of a Hezbollah beeper exposes Iran’s deep involvement in its Lebanese proxy’s operations.

Hezbollah chief, Hassan Nasrallah, who is said to be a technophobe, recently ordered organization officials to avoid using cellular phones, fearing Israeli surveillance. A batch of new, highly encoded beepers reportedly arrived in Lebanon a few days ago for use by top Hezbollah operatives. According to some reports, the devices were purchased in Iran.  

Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered all government officials to avoid commenting on the situation. Earlier, one confidant of the premier, Topaz Luk, wrote on X that anyone who thought there would be no action before the prime minister’s trip to next week’s United Nations summit at New York was wrong. Israeli cabinet officials quickly disavowed the post, which Mr. Luk deleted. 

Regardless of Israel’s attempt at keeping its distance, Hezbollah said in an official statement a few hours after the event that its Israeli enemy is behind the “criminal act,” and vowed retaliation. It also noted that Mr. Nasrallah was not injured. 

The explosions occurred in Hezbollah strongholds at Beirut, in southern Lebanon, in the Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border, and in Syria. Israelis are anticipating a counterattack, which could include a heavy barrage of missiles across the country. Yet, an overwhelmed Hezbollah could delay its response. 

“They will wait,” the founder of the northern Israel-based Alma center, Sarit Zehavi, tells the Sun. ”For now Hezbollah seems to be in a shock. They’re confused, and they need time to reorient themselves. This operation is creating a lot of difficulties for them, as many fighters are wounded, and as communication is disrupted.”

Yet, she adds, “Nothing is for sure. We, in the north, have been on high alert for 11 months.” 

How and when any retaliation would occur is to be determined, but “the word ‘containment’ doesn’t exist in Hezbollah’s vocabulary,” a former Israel Defense Force northern command chief, Major General Yossi Peled, told Channel 12 News. “Hezbollah, in their eyes, need to close this account.”

The operation in Lebanon occurred a day after Jerusalem officials informed a visiting senior White House envoy, Amos Hochstein, that his diplomatic efforts are at a dead end. He has been shuttling between Beirut and Jerusalem for months to mediate a solution for the threat to Israel’s northern border. Each of his attempts at calming the front before November hit a wall. 

“We are gathering information” on the events in Lebanon, the Department of State’s spokesman, Matthew Miller, said. “I can tell you that the U.S. was not involved in it, and was not aware of this incident in advance.”

On Monday, the Israeli cabinet announced that the secure return of northern citizens to their homes has been officially added to the country’s war goals that to date have focused on Gaza. 

Also on Monday, the Israeli internal security agency, Shabak, announced that it has thwarted a Hezbollah attempt to assassinate an unidentified “well known” former top security official via a remote-controlled explosive device. It said that a similar attempt was also prevented last year, when a device exploded at Tel Aviv and caused no injuries.   

On the political front, Israeli news outlets widely reported Monday that Mr. Netanyahu was about to fire the defense minister, Yoav Gallant. The premier leaked to the press that the defense chief is blocking a major operation against Hezbollah. Yet, Mr. Gallant for now remains in his post.

Was it a ruse? The Lebanon operation was likely approved months ago by Messrs. Netanyahu and Gallant. On Monday, the two were huddled for hours in the defense ministry headquarters at Tel Aviv’s Hakirya. The reported government shakeup, if it happens at all, is now likely to await developments in the war in the north. 

Many Israelis seem encouraged by what is believed to be one of the country’s most daring operations in decades. To date, Hezbollah’s endless harassment, which has forced thousands out of their homes in the north, has been met with tit-for-tat responses. Some wondered if Israel has lost its ability to initiate, and thus is allowing the Iranian proxy to dictate the war’s pace.

Tuesday’s operation is “impressive,” a former top Mossad official, Rami Igra, told Kan News, adding, though, that “the question is whether this is yet another round in the ping-pong game with Hezbollah, or is it a first act of the main event.”