Attack reported in Lebanon delicate Eight people were killed and more than 2,700 wounded. Hundreds of pagers belonging to Hezbollah members detonated simultaneously on Tuesday, prompting the Iran-backed militant organization to blame Israel. The New York Times reported that Israel was behind the attacks and carried them out by hiding explosive material inside the pagers. A second wave of attacks, these targeting portable radios used by Hezbollah members, was reported on Wednesday for The Washington Post.
A day after Israeli leaders warned In an attempt to escalate its military campaign against Hezbollah, the pagers of the Lebanese group's members immediately exploded. Witnesses reported seeing smoke coming out of the victims' pockets, followed by sounds reminiscent of fireworks or gunfire.
Lebanon's health minister said 200 of the wounded were in critical condition. He added that many victims had facial injuries, especially to the eyes. Injuries to the hands and stomach were also common, according to the health minister. Among the wounded was Mojtaba Amini, Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, according to Iranian state media.
A second wave of attacks in different parts of Lebanon on Wednesday killed one person and wounded more than 100. The latest attacks targeted “wireless devices.” One of the explosions, caused by a portable radio, occurred during the funeral of four victims of Tuesday’s explosions. “Whoever has a device, remove the battery now!” The Washington Post reported Hezbollah security personnel shouted at mourners: “Turn off your phones, put them on airplane mode!”
Israel has not commented on the attacks. But NOW Officials (including American ones) briefed on the operation reportedly said Israel was behind them. They say just one or two ounces of explosive material was placed next to each pager’s battery, along with a switch that allowed remote detonations. At 3 p.m. Tuesday in Lebanon, the pagers received a message (which appeared to be from Hezbollah’s direction) that triggered the coordinated explosions, according to the officials. The devices allegedly beeped for several seconds before detonating.
The Washington Post The logo of Taiwanese pager manufacturer Gold Apollo was reportedly seen on the sabotaged pagers. However, Gold Apollo claimed the devices were “totally manipulated” by a Hungarian company, BAC Consulting Kft, which was authorized to use the Gold Apollo brand in some regions. “That product is not ours,” said Gold Apollo founder and chairman Hsu Ching-Kuang. said The New York Times“They simply adhere to our company’s brand.”
Officials talking to NOW The company said the planes had been tampered with before they arrived in Lebanon. Most were Gold Apollo's AR924 model, which the company displayed a picture of on its website before removing them on Wednesday.
The attacks sparked a wave of fear regarding the use of mobile devices. NOW Some people in Lebanon were reportedly afraid to use their phones after Tuesday's attacks, with one resident shouting: “Please hang up, hang up!” to his interlocutor.
The times Hezbollah, which has long been wary of using mobile phones near the Israeli border due to the devices’ geolocation capabilities, has reportedly recently swapped mobile phones for pagers. In February, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah reportedly warned the group that its phones were dangerous and could be used by Israel as spy tools. He advised the group that they should “break them or bury them.”
According to experts, they still do not know exactly how the pagers were distributed to Hezbollah members. They say Iran, given its history of supplying weapons, technology and other military aid to Hezbollah, would have been instrumental in their adoption and distribution.
Update, September 18, 2024, 11:48 a.m. ET: This story has been updated to add new details about Tuesday's attacks and the second wave of explosions reported Wednesday.
