For nearly a week, ophthalmologist Elias Jaradeh has been tirelessly working to manage an unprecedented influx of patients with eye injuries caused by the mass explosion of pagers and walkie-talkies across Lebanon. His schedule has been grueling, with barely two hours of sleep between surgeries, as he fights to save the vision of countless individuals.
Some patients have had successful outcomes, but tragically, many others will lose their sight permanently. The toll on Jaradeh has been emotional, as he sees not only young men but also women and children suffering from devastating injuries.
The explosions, which occurred last week, killed at least 39 people and wounded around 3,000 more, leaving many with severe disabilities. Although it is believed that the attack targeted Hezbollah fighters, civilians were also gravely affected.
The devices detonated as they received messages, catching many off guard and causing widespread injuries to the hands, face, and eyes. Israel is widely thought to be responsible, though it has neither confirmed nor denied involvement. Hospitals across Lebanon have been overwhelmed by the sheer number of wounded.
Lebanese Ophthalmologist Battles to Save Vision of Explosion Victims Amid Unprecedented Eye Injury Crisis
This event has stunned even veteran Lebanese eye doctors, who have faced war-related injuries throughout their careers but have never witnessed such a concentrated wave of eye trauma.
Jaradeh, who is also a parliament member from southern Lebanon, has been treating young victims with shrapnel embedded in their eyes. The situation brings back memories of the 2020 Beirut port explosion, which caused mass injuries when glass windows shattered across the city. However, the current crisis, due to the volume of eye injuries, is far more severe.
The 2020 Beirut blast, caused by unsafe ammonium nitrate storage, killed over 200 people and injured 6,000. The injuries from that explosion, often caused by shards of glass, were horrific but somewhat manageable.
In contrast, the aftermath of this recent series of explosions has proven more chaotic for the medical community. Jaradeh reflected on how the shock of the Beirut explosion subsided in about 48 hours, but this time, the situation has been much harder to process and control due to the high number of eye injuries.
Emotionally, Jaradeh is finding it difficult to separate his medical duties from the human tragedy unfolding before him.
While medical training teaches doctors to remain detached, he finds it nearly impossible in this situation, given the scale of suffering he is witnessing. He believes this tragedy is not just a medical crisis but also part of a broader “war on Lebanon” and humanity, which makes the burden even heavier for those trying to help.
