Lebanese officials issue grave warning about potential danger in next 48 hours after pager and device attacks

• Israel has not commented on the blasts, while Hezbollah labeled the act as "Israeli aggression."
• In the next 48 hours, Lebanon's health and economy ministers warned CNBC that the situation would be particularly perilous.

The risk of further violence and escalation is extremely high in Lebanon after two days of attacks involving exploding communication devices across the country, according to the country's leadership.

In the next 48 hours, the situation will be particularly perilous, as ministers warned CNBC on Thursday.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, thousands of communication devices used by Hezbollah members exploded in a suspected act of sabotage, resulting in the death of at least 37 people and injuring at least 3,000 others.

The attack was labeled as "Israeli aggression" by Hezbollah, while Israel has not made any comments. Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was among the injured, and a son of a Hezbollah member of parliament was killed. Additionally, children were among those who lost their lives in the attack.

Lebanon's Minister of Economy Amin Salam stated on Thursday that the escalation of the conflict is very serious and that any act of escalation will inevitably lead to provocation, which is what we fear the most. He added that the events of yesterday will only trigger more escalation into the conflict.

"This country will experience a highly dangerous 48 hours to observe the reaction."

The Shia organization Hezbollah, which controls a significant portion of Lebanon's politics, is already engaged in frequent skirmishes with Israel. Now, the group has threatened retaliation, increasing the risk of a full-scale war in a region already devastated by conflict.

In the past 12 months, Hezbollah has fired thousands of rockets into Israel, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Hezbollah fighters and scores of Lebanese civilians. As a result of the conflict, tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border have been forced to evacuate their homes.

'Unparalleled kind of unification'

The minister stated that the reaction was significant, even among those in Lebanon who previously opposed Hezbollah, now standing more in support of the group.

"The provocation in Lebanon escalated from one entity to the entire country, resulting in an unprecedented level of unity among Lebanese political parties regarding the incident."

"Yesterday was a day that broke all rules and crossed all borders," Salam stated. "It went beyond what is considered acceptable in Lebanon, which is considered an act of terror. This has made me extremely worried that it will lead to more violence and further escalate the situation."

Lebanon's Health Minister Firas Abiad stated that the attacks and influx of injured individuals were a surprise to the country's healthcare system.

"After the first wave of device explosions, Abiad stated that there were approximately 2,800 patients who presented to emergency rooms, resulting in 12 fatalities. Additionally, there were nearly 300 patients in critical condition and almost 450 patients who required eye, hand, and amputation operations. Over 90 hospitals were involved in receiving patients."

The ongoing attacks have severely impacted Lebanon's already weak infrastructure, which frequently experiences power outages, and its struggling economy, which is one of the most heavily indebted in the world and has faced numerous challenges in recent years.

""The low resource environment poses a significant challenge to the health system, as a major escalation would put immense stress on it, leaving no room for doubt," Abiad stated."

As Israel moves more of its troops and military hardware further north to the Lebanon border area, U.S. officials are reportedly scrambling to find a diplomatic solution that avoids an all-out war. Just hours before the first wave of devices — pagers — began exploding, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to return Israel's northern residents, who were evacuated last year, back to their homes.

On Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced that Israel's focus has shifted to its northern front, marking a "new phase" of the war. The Times of Israel reported earlier that day that the Israel Defense Force's 98th Division was being deployed to northern Israel, following months of fighting in the Gaza Strip.

From the outset, the Lebanese government has been unequivocal in its stance that Lebanon does not desire conflict. We have maintained that a diplomatic resolution is the most suitable course of action, as stated by Abiad.

"Unfortunately, the escalation seen in the past two days may not aid in achieving a diplomatic solution."