BEIRUT, Lebanon, Sept 18, V7N - Hezbollah, a powerful Iran-backed militant group, blamed Israel for a series of explosions across Lebanon that killed at least nine people and injured around 2,800. The blasts, which Hezbollah claimed targeted pagers used by their members, came as tensions in the region escalated amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The explosions primarily occurred in Hezbollah strongholds, with the militant group asserting that Israeli intelligence had infiltrated the supply chain of the pagers, embedding explosives. While Israel has not directly commented on the incident, Hezbollah warned that Israel would be held responsible and face consequences for what it termed a "criminal aggression."

The blasts have exacerbated tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border, where intermittent skirmishes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah have been occurring since Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel. Israel has since broadened its war objectives to include Hezbollah, with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warning of potential military action if no political solution is reached to quell the conflict on Israel's northern border.

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