Lebanon: At least nine people have been killed and around 3000 injured in the pager attacks on Tuesday, September 17. According to the health ministry, at least 200 of those injured are critical. Hezbollah has blamed Israel for the explosions. However, the nation has refused to give any statement over the possible involvement of Israel or Mossad, the National Security Agency.
What Happened In Lebanon?
On Tuesday, September 17, a series of pager explosions occurred in Beirut, resulting in at least nine deaths and over 3000 injuries. Around 200 of the injured are in critical condition. The explosions targeted Hezbollah fighters in the southern suburbs of Beirut and the Bekaa valley, strongholds of the militant group. Video footage showed individuals with injuries to their faces and missing fingers, indicating the severity of the attacks. Despite no group claiming responsibility, both the Lebanon government and Hezbollah have blamed Israel for the explosions.
The Pager Explosions
Pagers used by Hezbollah fighters started detonating around 3.30 pm local time in the southern suburbs of Beirut known as Dahiyeh and the eastern Bekaa valley, strongholds of the anti-Israel militant group. The explosions lasted for an hour.
Some of the pagers blasted after the devices rang, causing serious injuries as the fighters reached out for them or brought them close to their faces to check the screens.
Lebanese Government Reacts
According to footage reviewed by Reuters, the blasts were contained. They appeared to wound the person using the pager or close to it. Video from hospitals and shared on social media showed individuals with injuries to their faces, missing fingers and gaping wounds at the hip where the device was likely worn.
The attack left at least nine people dead, including an eight-year-old and a Hezbollah MP’s son. Among the thousands injured was Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the attacks as a violation of sovereignty, while Hezbollah vowed that Israel would face consequences for the aggression.
Israel Blamed For Pager Attacks
The Lebanese government, along with Hezbollah, believe that Israel likely orchestrated the attack due to its history of using technology for tracking targets. Analysts suggest that Israel exploited Hezbollah's use of pagers instead of smartphones, leading to a sophisticated and deadly operation. Overall, the pager explosions have raised tensions between Lebanon and Israel, with the true perpetrators yet to be identified.
How Would Israel Corrupt The Pagers?
To carry out the attack, Israel likely corrupted pagers ordered by Hezbollah, causing them to explode when a coded message was sent. The explosive material was hidden in the devices before delivery, with up to three grammes of explosives in each pager. The operation was a collaboration between the Israeli military and Mossad, planting small explosives inside the devices months prior to the detonations.
The New York Times reported that Israel hid explosive material within Taiwanese-made pagers supplied to Lebanon. The pagers were tampered with to include detonators and explosive charges, as well as a triggering device. Israel likely accessed the supply chain of the pagers to embed the explosives, as they needed to add only the detonator and charge to the three existing components in the pagers. This method was chosen due to Hezbollah's preference for pagers over smartphones for security reasons. The attack was successful in causing explosions without detection by Hezbollah, showcasing a sophisticated and strategic operation by Israel to target the militant group.
How Would Have Israel Used Pagers To Attack?
Israeli intelligence allegedly added explosive components and remote triggering mechanisms into the pagers used by Hezbollah, possibly through a third party acting as an intelligence front for Israel. Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute stated that the devices likely contained plastic explosives for remote detonation. The motive behind Israel's targeting of Hezbollah is due to the group being an ally of Iran, Israel's enemy, engaged in a conflict with frequent rocket exchanges. The recent attack occurred as Israel aimed to return citizens near the border to their homes, with Prime Minister Netanyahu laying out formal war goals.
Is Gold Apollo Involved In Pager Explosions?
Gold Apollo, a Taiwan pager company, refused the allegation of producing the pagers involved in the explosions. They state that the devices used in the blasts on Tuesday were actually manufactured by a company in Budapest called BAC, which has permission to use Gold Apollo's brand name. Most of the pagers, specifically the AP924 model made by Gold Apollo, were obtained from Taiwan.
Gold Apollo said in a statement, “According to the cooperation agreement, we authorise BAC to use our brand trademark for product sales in designated regions, but the design and manufacturing of the products are solely the responsibility of BAC."
Addressing reporters at the Gold Apollo's office in the city of New Taipei, Hsu Ching-Kuang, founder and president of the company, said that the "product is not ours. It only had our brand on it".