Explosion of dozens of beepers
“A major blow to Hezbollah”
September 17, 2024Reading time: 3 minutes
Footage from a surveillance camera shows the moment of an explosion. (Source: t-online)
In Lebanon, explosions of portable radio receivers have claimed numerous victims – the target of the suspected Israeli attack was apparently Hezbollah. An expert explains what this means for the simmering conflict.
The conflict between Israel and the Shiite Hezbollah militia continues to escalate: Around 2,750 people were injured and 9 people were killed in suspected coordinated explosions of hundreds of portable radio receivers in Lebanon. The condition of around 200 injured people is critical, said Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad in the capital Beirut. Hezbollah blamed Israel for the so-called pager explosions and announced retaliation for the “sinful aggression” on Telegram.
Israeli intelligence expert Shlomo Shpiro said in an interview with broadcaster Welt that he saw an “Israeli handwriting” and suspected the foreign intelligence agency Mossad was behind the attack.
“The Israeli government's patience with Hezbollah is at an end. This is a great success, a major blow against Hezbollah,” he continued. The pagers were apparently only in the hands of “relatively high-ranking members” of the militia. Shpiro suspects either a cyber attack on the devices in which the batteries exploded. Or a “larger campaign” in which hundreds of devices came into the country. Shpiro believes this scenario is much more likely.
video | Numerous Hezbollah members injured in pager explosion
Source: t-online
The Wall Street Journal also reported that the pagers came from a delivery that Hezbollah had recently received. Hundreds of fighters have such devices, the newspaper reported, citing an unnamed Hezbollah representative.
He therefore suspected that the devices were equipped with malware that would have caused them to overheat and explode. Experts in the Israeli media assumed that the pagers were a very important communication system for the militia.
According to Shpiro, Hezbollah's explosions show its “vulnerability.” The militia understands “that Israel can get to every member of Hezbollah,” he continued. This “feeling of insecurity” could have strong consequences. The investigations at Hezbollah and in Iran are currently “in full swing,” said the expert. An open question is: “Who in Hezbollah decided to buy the devices?”
Observers assume that there could be further and possibly larger military clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in the near future. The situation had worsened in the past few weeks.
The Israeli domestic secret service Shin Bet recently declared that it had thwarted a Hezbollah bomb attack on a former high-ranking Israeli security representative. The attack was planned in the coming days, it was said. The explosive device was equipped with a remote detonator, connected to a camera and a cell phone. The bomb could therefore have been detonated by Hezbollah from Lebanon.
The Israeli newspaper “Jerusalem Post”, citing political and military circles, reported that Israel was closer than ever to an all-out war with Hezbollah. However, a large-scale war is still risky for all sides.
Israel wants to use military and diplomatic pressure to ensure that the Hezbollah militia retreats behind the Litani River, 30 kilometers from the border – as stipulated by UN Resolution 1701.
Shpiro also told Welt: “The situation can now escalate.” It remains to be seen what will happen on Wednesday night – whether Hezbollah will strike Israel. His conclusion: “It shows how dangerous such a cyber war can be.” It is not just a war like before – but a new dimension of war.
