In the aftermath of two days of devastating explosive device attacks in Lebanon, surgeons like Elias Jaradeh have described the overwhelming toll of treating hundreds of severely wounded patients. The attacks, which took the lives of 37 people, including two children, have been blamed on Israel, although no official claims of responsibility have been made. Among the casualties were fighters from Hezbollah, but civilians, including women and children, also faced the brunt of the violence. Jaradeh, who is not only a surgeon but also a member of Lebanon’s parliament, shared how the relentless influx of patients forced him and other medical professionals to switch to a “robotic” mindset just to cope with the pressure.

Sheer Volume of Wounded Pushes Medical Staff to Their Limits

Dr. Jaradeh’s hospital, a specialized eye and ear medical center, was inundated with patients suffering severe injuries, many of whom had lost their eyesight or suffered injuries that would require amputation. Speaking about the emotional toll on the medical teams, Jaradeh admitted the difficulty of the situation. “You have to dissociate yourself. More or less, you are robotic. This is the way you have to behave, but inside, you are deeply injured. You are seeing the nation injured,” he said.

Dr. Jaradeh and his colleagues worked almost non-stop for 24 hours, trying to save the lives and restore some semblance of normalcy for victims who had lost eyes, hands, or other vital parts of their bodies. Health Minister Firass Abiad also expressed the long-term impact of the attacks, noting that many of the victims will require extensive rehabilitation, both physical and psychological.

Unprecedented Scenes of Violence

Eye specialist Professor Elias Warrak described the horrifying nature of the injuries inflicted by the explosive devices. He explained that, in a single night, he had to remove more damaged eyes than during his entire career. “It was very hard. Most of the patients were young men in their twenties, and in some cases, I had to remove both eyes,” Prof. Warrak recounted. Journalists and witnesses at hospitals saw similar devastation, with bloodied patients arriving in ambulances “one after another within the minute.” Many described people with injuries to their faces and hands, injuries so severe that amputation surgeries were often necessary.

A reporter from BBC Arabic who visited the hospitals described the scene as a “massacre,” with young men and civilians stumbling through the streets, blinded or severely wounded. In many ways, this latest episode of violence has reignited trauma from the Beirut port explosion in 2020, which killed over 200 people and injured thousands when an improperly stored supply of ammonium nitrate detonated.

Weaponized Technology and Rising Tensions

According to Health Minister Firass Abiad, these attacks marked a disturbing trend in the “weaponization of technology.” Devices like pagers and two-way radios were rigged to explode, catching innocent civilians off guard. Abiad warned that this technological twist was not only a threat to Lebanon but to the entire world, especially in regions already embroiled in conflict. “Now we have to think twice before using technology,” Abiad said, highlighting the growing concern over how modern devices can be repurposed as deadly weapons.

In the aftermath of the attacks, the Lebanese army has been on high alert, systematically detonating suspicious devices and banning walkie-talkies and pagers on all flights out of Beirut’s Rafic Hariri Airport.

An Escalating Conflict: Hezbollah’s Role and Israel’s Airstrikes

The escalating conflict has once again placed Hezbollah and Israel at the center of the violence. Hezbollah, a major Shia Muslim political and militant force in Lebanon, has been exchanging almost daily fire with Israel, which recently shifted its military focus towards Lebanon following months of clashes at its border with Gaza. As Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah called the device attacks a “massacre” and a “declaration of war,” Israel responded with airstrikes on southern Lebanon, sending jets over Beirut in a show of force.

The situation between Hezbollah and Israel has been tense since the Gaza conflict escalated in October, and it shows no signs of de-escalating. Hezbollah, which claims to act in solidarity with Palestinians, has been ramping up its activities at the border in response to Israel’s retaliation against Hamas in Gaza. Israel, for its part, has made it clear that their military efforts are focused on restoring stability at their northern border, aiming to facilitate the return of displaced residents to their homes.

The Aftermath and the Global Response

With the latest attacks, Lebanon finds itself at a critical juncture. More than 3,200 people were injured in the two days of violence, with 90 victims transferred to Iran for further medical treatment, according to the Iranian embassy. Among them is Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, who is reportedly in good condition. Many of those injured, however, remain in Lebanon and will face life-altering injuries, with ongoing rehabilitation efforts anticipated to be complex and long-lasting.

As tensions between Hezbollah and Israel continue to rise, both Dr. Jaradeh and Minister Abiad remain pessimistic about any near-term resolution. Jaradeh, reflecting on the broader implications, warned that without a permanent peace process, Lebanon and the wider region could be on the path to further violence and war. Abiad echoed his concerns, stressing that the two device attacks showed a clear lack of intent toward diplomatic solutions. “The position of my government is clear. From day one, we believe that Lebanon does not want war,” he concluded.

Conclusion: A Nation in Crisis

Lebanon finds itself once again caught in the crossfire of regional conflict, and the recent attacks have amplified the sense of unease and fear permeating across the nation. As innocent civilians suffer devastating injuries from what appear to be targeted attacks, medical professionals like Dr. Elias Jaradeh and Prof. Elias Warrak continue to work under unimaginable pressure. With Israel and Hezbollah locked in a near-daily exchange of fire, the Lebanese government faces the daunting challenge of both tending to the wounded and seeking ways to prevent further escalation. In the words of Dr. Jaradeh, without a permanent peace, Lebanon may very well be on the brink of another war.