Hundreds of pagers belonging to Hezbollah members exploded simultaneously on Tuesday, killing eleven people and injuring thousands. Israeli agents are said to have planted the explosives in the devices.
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- Hundreds of pagers belonging to Hezbollah members exploded in Lebanon, killing eleven people and injuring at least 2,700; there were also casualties in Syria.
- Israeli agents are said to have rigged the pagers with explosives to disrupt Hezbollah's command and control system.
- Lebanon condemned the attack as "criminal Israeli aggression", while the USA claimed not to have known anything about the operation.
On Tuesday, hundreds of pagers carried by Hezbollah members in Lebanon exploded simultaneously. This happened a day after Israeli officials said they were ready to step up their attacks against the Iranian-backed militia.
According to the New York Times, the pagers exploded on sidewalks and in grocery stores, on houses and in cars. The explosions killed eleven people and at least 2,700 were injured in the attack.
Witnesses reported smoke billowing from trouser pockets, followed by loud explosions. According to Hezbollah, at least eight of its fighters died. Health Minister Firass Abiad confirmed the death of an eight-year-old girl. Many victims suffered severe mutilations to their hands and eyes. The Ministry of Health put hospitals on "high alert" and called on citizens to throw away their pagers.
Hezbollah have been using pagers for years
It is not uncommon for Hezbollah to communicate in this way. They have been using pagers for years to make it more difficult for opponents to intercept messages.
Research by the "New York Times" shows how the pagers exploded: At 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, the pagers received a message that two witnesses said looked like it came from Hezbollah leadership. The pagers beeped for several seconds before exploding.
According to American and other officials who were informed of the attack, Israeli agents had previously hidden 25 to 50 grams of explosives in the pagers. These came from a shipment in Taiwan, where they were manufactured. Over 3000 pagers were ordered from Gold Apollo, officials said. Hezbollah distributed the pagers to its members throughout Lebanon, with some also reaching the group's allies in Iran and Syria, officials said.
Taiwan denies link to pagers
According to the SDA news agency, the Taiwan-based brand of those so-called pagers denies any connection to the incident. Hsu Ching-Kuang, CEO of Gold Apollo, said in New Taipei that the devices only bore the company's logo and were not manufactured by his company in Taiwan.
When asked by telephone by the German Press Agency, Gold Apollo explained that a company based in Hungary had designed and manufactured the radios. "According to an agreement, we authorize BAC to use our trademark for the sale of products in certain regions, but the design and manufacturing will be entirely handled by BAC," Gold Apollo also said.
At least 14 people injured in Syria
The pagers in Lebanon were detonated just hours after a meeting of the Israeli security cabinet. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 14 people in Syria are believed to have been injured by the pager explosions.
Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, condemned what he described as "criminal Israeli aggression" and called it a "grave violation of Lebanese sovereignty".
US government knew nothing about the attack
According to the US news portal "Axios", the explosions also paralyzed a significant part of Hezbollah's military command and control system. The attack carried out by Israel was aimed at unsettling the militia and creating the feeling in its ranks that it was completely penetrated by Israeli intelligence services, Axios quoted an unspecified source as saying.
The USA, Israel's most important ally, was not involved, according to a spokesperson for the US State Department, and therefore had no prior knowledge of such an operation.
Israel's army and intelligence services did not claim responsibility for the explosions, but were immediately accused by Hezbollah and its main supporter Iran of being the masterminds. Israel's army indicated that it was preparing to retaliate.
It is still unclear how the pagers exploded.
A diplomatic solution seems a long way off
The possibility of a diplomatic solution to the conflict with Hezbollah is receding further and further into the distance because the militia has linked its fate to that of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and is refusing to end the conflict.
Since the beginning of the Gaza war almost a year ago, there have been almost daily confrontations between Hezbollah and the Israeli military in the border area between Israel and Lebanon. There have been casualties on both sides as a result of the mutual shelling - most of them members of Hezbollah. Around 60,000 Israelis had to leave their homes and apartments in northern Israel. Thousands of people have also fled from southern Lebanon to other parts of the country.