In a pre-emptive move, Israeli authorities reportedly detonated thousands of pagers believed to be in the possession of Hezbollah, a recognized terror group. This decision was made amid concerns that Hezbollah may have discovered a covert operation, according to various reports. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his senior officials are said to have approved the coordinated strike earlier than planned, following intelligence briefings suggesting that Hezbollah may have discovered explosives allegedly hidden within their pagers.
Further reports suggest that a subsequent attack was also expedited due to fears that the terror group would discard the devices after the initial surprise attack. This second attack saw thousands of Hezbollah walkie-talkie radios detonated. The devices were allegedly compromised by Israel before being imported into Lebanon, according to unnamed officials cited by various news outlets.
The detonation of these devices resulted in at least 26 fatalities, including two children, and left over 3,200 people injured, as per data from Lebanon’s health ministry. The devices, identified as AR-924 pagers, were reportedly rigged with explosives next to the battery, which could be remotely triggered.
Hezbollah had reportedly switched to using pagers after its leaders advised members to discard their cell phones earlier this year. This was due to concerns that Israel had infiltrated Lebanese cell networks and could potentially use the devices for targeted attacks. The rigged pagers were detonated by sending a message impersonating the group’s leaders.
The walkie-talkies detonated in the subsequent attack were reportedly ordered for the terror group about five months ago, around the same time as the pagers. While Israel has not commented on the attack on Hezbollah’s communication system, both the terror group and the Lebanese government have attributed the attack to Israel.
In response to the attacks, Hashim Safi Al Din, a senior Hezbollah official and relative of terror chief Hassan Nasrallah, has threatened a severe retaliatory attack against Israel. His statement warned of a “uniquely punished” attack and a “bloodily unique revenge.” Hamas, another Iran-backed terror group, has also condemned the strikes, claiming they pose a threat to the region’s security and stability.