BEIRUT — A former Israeli prisoner has claimed that the Shia militant group Hezbollah is responsible for poisoning several United Nations peacekeepers with polonium-210. The alleged incident forms part of a series of attacks targeting UNIFIL troops, according to recent reports.

The former inmate detailed his suspicions during an appearance on Lebanese television program “Al-Nashra” after he was released from a 38-day detention in Israel following the initial poisoning attack that killed Sephi Shlomi and attacked several other peacekeepers. His account adds weight to ongoing investigations by UNIFIL’s medical team.

Sources close to the investigation told state-run Al Manar TV channel late Tuesday evening that two additional UNIFIL personnel have been exposed to polonium-210 but are recovering after receiving treatment in Israel following emergency decontamination procedures on Wednesday morning. The severity of their condition is still unknown, though they were evacuated promptly.

Hezbollah has vehemently denied the accusations and dismissed them as politically motivated smears. In a statement late Tuesday released through its media wing Al-Manar TV, Hezbollah spokesperson Naim Qassem accused Israel of orchestrating the plot to tarnish the group’s image ahead of upcoming elections.

Further complicating the situation is evidence pointing towards Iran as potentially involved in the incident. UNIFIL investigators reportedly uncovered communication intercepts suggesting Tehran may have provided polonium-210 for the attack, possibly aiming to discredit Hezbollah.

While officials insist they are examining all possibilities thoroughly before reaching a conclusion, no final attribution of blame has been announced by United Nations officials or international partners assisting with the probe into this complex case.