In a startling turn of events, a pager explosion in Lebanon and Syria, allegedly orchestrated by Israel, has reportedly disrupted the operations of Hezbollah, the militant group.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has suggested that this unexpected attack could have "several negative effects" on the group and its activities.
According to Newsweek, the explosion occurred on Tuesday when pagers used by hundreds of Hezbollah members detonated almost simultaneously. The blast resulted in the death of nine individuals, including an eight-year-old girl, and injured approximately 2,750 others, as reported by Lebanon's health minister Firas Abiad. Israel, accused by Hezbollah of being behind the attack, has remained silent on the matter.
The ISW, in its Tuesday update, stated that "the attack likely disrupted some internal communications across Hezbollah, especially given the extent to which Hezbollah has been relying on pagers in recent months." This reliance on pagers was a strategic move by Hezbollah, as revealed by Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in a televised speech in February. Nasrallah had warned members that their phones were more dangerous than Israeli spies, urging them to dispose of or secure their devices. As a result, Hezbollah adopted the use of pagers across its various branches as a safer communication alternative.
Hezbollah's decision to use pagers was an attempt to avoid location-tracking by Israel, as cell phones were considered vulnerable. The BBC reported that this low-tech communication method was adopted following the 1996 incident where Hamas bomb-maker Yahya Ayyash was killed by an exploding phone.
The ISW further noted that "the nature and scale of the attack also likely stoked confusion and shock among some Hezbollah members." This could potentially fuel paranoia within the group, given Israel's recent demonstrations of its deep infiltration into Iranian and Iranian-backed networks. Among those injured in the attack was the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani.
Nasser Kanaani, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, has labeled the incident as "an example of mass murder." The aftermath of the attack leaves Hezbollah with a reduced number of fighters, with 200 of the injured in critical condition and many grappling with severe facial, hand, or abdominal injuries.
Speculation suggests that Israel executed the operation by infiltrating the supply chain of the pagers. The devices bore the label of Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Gold Apollo, but the company's founder, Hsu Ching-kuang, has shifted the responsibility of the product's design and manufacturing to a Budapest-based company, BAC Consulting.
This incident coincides with the inclusion of northern Israel, which borders Lebanon, in Israel's war objectives for the first time since the conflict began on October 7 last year. Israel's security Cabinet approved the return of northern residents to their homes as an official objective on Monday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously stated that a political statement alone would not achieve this, indicating that Israel is "preparing for a broad campaign."
Approximately 60,000 people have been displaced from their homes in northern Israel due to Hezbollah's attacks, as reported by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Hezbollah's border attacks are perceived as a strategy to maintain pressure on Israel and support Hamas in Gaza. The recent attacks on Israeli military targets by Hezbollah have escalated cross-border tensions and raised concerns about a potential escalation in the region.
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