Hezbollah has claimed that Israel’s spy agency, Mossad, secretly placed explosives inside pagers that were brought into Lebanon by Hezbollah. These explosives were hidden months in advance and then triggered in the recent explosions that occurred on Tuesday. Mossad is known for carrying out complex operations in other countries.
In Beirut, nine people have died, and more than 300 were injured after walkie-talkies exploded in Hezbollah strongholds across Lebanon. This happened just a day after pagers blew up across the country, killing 12 people and injuring nearly 3,000. It’s still unclear how many walkie-talkies exploded, but there are also reports that landline phones have blown up in different places in East Lebanon.
According to reports, these walkie-talkies and wireless devices were purchased around five months ago, around the same time the pagers were bought.
Earlier today, Lebanon’s Health Minister, Firass Abiad, confirmed the tragic toll from the explosions: 12 lives lost and around 2,800 people injured.
In a televised press conference, the minister confirmed that the blasts killed 12 people, including a young girl. He added that around 2,800 people were injured, with more than 200 in critical condition. Most of the injuries were to the face, hands, and stomach.
Iran’s state media also reported that their Ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was among those injured in the pager explosions yesterday.
Hezbollah, which is considered a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union, holds significant political and military power in Lebanon and is supported by Iran. The group also supports Hamas, which has been in conflict with Israel in Gaza since October 2023.
On Tuesday, Hezbollah blamed Israel for the recent attacks, calling it the “biggest security breach” they’ve ever faced.
WHO MADE THESE DEVICES?
Initial reports said the pagers were made by a Taiwanese company, but the company has denied this. The Taiwanese manufacturer, Gold Apollo, clarified that the devices were actually made under a license by another company called BAC, based in Budapest, Hungary.
While Israel hasn’t officially commented on the explosions, it did say earlier that it is expanding its war with Hamas in Gaza to include Hezbollah, Hamas’s ally. Israel made this statement just hours before Tuesday’s blasts.
Hezbollah has called the attacks a “massacre” and “criminal aggression,” and they hold Israel “fully responsible.” They stated that they will keep supporting Hamas in Gaza and warned Israel to expect a response for the pager attacks, which resulted in many being injured or killed.
Hezbollah also mentioned that their ongoing cross-border clashes with Israeli forces are separate from the punishment they believe Israel deserves for the massacre.