The latest confirmed tally lists 2,750 people as injured and at least 9, including a child, dead as a result of the mass detonation of handheld pagers in parts of Lebanon. An earlier, widely reported tally of 11 dead and over 4,000 injured was rescinded by Lebanon's health ministry.
"The Iraqi government is closely monitoring the serious security developments in Lebanon, including the recent cyber attack by the Zionist entity ... Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani has directed the dispatch of Iraqi medical teams and emergency response units to Lebanon to provide urgent assistance as quickly as possible, alleviating the suffering of the innocent civilian victims," the Iraqi prime minister's office said.
The recent developments in the Middle East, including Israel's preparations for a land incursion into southern Lebanon, require urgent international interference before the situation escalates into a broader war, the press office added.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held phone conversations with his Lebanese counterpart, Abdallah Bou Habib, and Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, offering Cairo's full support. He assured Lebanon of Egypt's commitment to stability and security in Lebanon, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said.
The Lebanese government and Hezbollah movement have blamed the explosions on Israel.
An official statement on the explosion has not been released by Israel; however, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi has said top military officials have called a meeting "with an emphasis on readiness for attack and defense in all arenas."
The Lebanese Foreign Ministry said that the reason for the detonation of pagers was a cyberattack by Israel. Media reported that pagers were used by Hezbollah as a closed communication system least susceptible to hacking and eavesdropping.
Citing sources familiar with the matter, Axios earlier reported that the operation had reportedly been approved during meetings between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his cabinet and security chiefs.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that Washington was gathering information on the incident, adding that the US was neither involved in it nor aware of the operation in advance.