BEIRUT (AP) — Chris Knayzeh was in a town overlooking Lebanon’s capital when he felt the rumble of the aftershock from the 2020 Beirut port blast. The explosion, fueled by hundreds of tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrate, claimed over 200 lives and injured thousands.
Faced with the devastation and ongoing economic collapse, Knayzeh, like many Lebanese, left his job and booked a one-way ticket out of the country. Now a lecturer at a university in France, he was visiting Lebanon when news broke of another deadly attack involving thousands of handheld pagers detonating across the country. Reports indicated that Israel was targeting devices linked to the militant group Hezbollah. Stuck in Beirut traffic, Knayzeh panicked, fearing nearby drivers could be carrying explosive devices.
Within minutes, hospitals were overwhelmed with injured patients, bringing back haunting memories of the port blast that left lasting psychological scars on those who experienced it. A day later, a similar attack targeted walkie-talkies, resulting in at least 37 deaths and over 3,000 injuries, many of them civilians. While Israel is widely suspected of being behind the blasts, it has not confirmed nor denied responsibility.
“The country’s state is unreal,” Knayzeh told The Associated Press.
The port blast was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded and occurred amid an ongoing economic meltdown, political paralysis, and failed protests against corruption. Four years later, an investigation into the blast has stalled, leaving the devastated Mediterranean port untouched, its broken silos standing as symbols of a nation in turmoil. With no functioning government for over two years, poverty continues to rise.
Simultaneously, Lebanon has been on the brink of war with Israel, as both sides have exchanged fire and Israeli warplanes frequently break the sound barrier over Beirut, causing panic among residents.
“I can’t believe this is happening again. How many more disasters can we endure?” lamented Jocelyn Hallak, a mother of three, two of whom now live abroad. “All this pain, when will it end?”
A full-blown conflict with Israel could devastate Lebanon, which already struggles with a crisis-ridden healthcare system. Hospitals have been preparing for potential conflict, even before the recent influx of casualties from the pager explosions. Most injuries were severe, particularly affecting the face, eyes, and limbs, necessitating extensive medical care.
Despite the turmoil, Knayzeh, 27, finds it hard to stay away from Lebanon, returning frequently to see family and his girlfriend. He often flinches at sudden loud noises and feels a deep connection to his homeland, even from afar.
“It’s the attachment to our country, or at least to our loved ones who couldn’t leave,” he said.
This summer, many Lebanese expatriates visited despite the tensions, providing vital remittances that support families back home. However, many cut their trips short amid fears of escalation following the recent attacks attributed to Israel.
The levels of confusion, insecurity, and anger in Lebanon are reaching new heights, with many believing that the port blast was the worst they could experience—until the pager explosions.
“I saw horrific things that day,” recounted Mohammad al-Mousawi, who was in Beirut’s southern suburb, a Hezbollah stronghold, when the pagers detonated.
“Suddenly, we saw scooters racing by, carrying injured individuals—some missing fingers, others severely injured. Then the ambulances came.”
He compared the scene to the 2020 port blast. “The number of injuries and ambulances was unbelievable. One more horror shaping our collective existence,” wrote Maha Yahya, director of the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center.
“The shock, disarray, and trauma are reminiscent of Beirut after the port explosion, but this time it affected the entire country,” she noted on social media.
In the aftermath of the pager explosions, fear has taken hold. Parents kept children away from schools, fearing more attacks. The Lebanese civil defense advised citizens to turn off their devices and remove batteries from electronic devices. One woman even disconnected her baby monitor.
Lebanon’s civil aviation authorities have prohibited transporting pagers and walkie-talkies on flights from Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport until further notice. Some residents now sleep with their phones in another room.
In Tyre, as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah prepared to speak, local resident Hassan Hajo expressed feelings of depression following the pager blasts, which represented a significant security breach for Hezbollah. He hoped Nasrallah’s speech would uplift spirits.
In his address, Nasrallah vowed retaliation against Israel for the attacks. As tensions escalated, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu increased warnings of potential military action against Hezbollah.
Another resident, Marwan Mahfouz, criticized Netanyahu’s threats, saying, “If we are going to die, we’ll die. We are already dying. We are already dead.”
