Hundreds of pagers carried by Hezbollah members exploded simultaneously across Lebanon, killing at least eight people and injuring thousands. The explosions came a day after Israeli officials expressed readiness to escalate attacks against the Iranian-backed militia. Lebanon's health minister reported that an 8-year-old girl was among those killed, and many victims suffered maimed hands and injured eyes. Hezbollah has used pagers for years to avoid interception of messages. Although Israeli officials did not claim responsibility for the explosions, Israel has a history of sophisticated sabotage and assassination operations against its adversaries.