Lebanon: Israel allegedly equipped pagers with explosives

The alleged coordinated explosions of portable radio receivers in Lebanon, which left thousands injured and several dead, are fueling fears of a larger war between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. Although Israel’s army and intelligence services did not claim responsibility for the explosions, Hezbollah and its main supporter Iran immediately accused them of masterminding them. Israel’s army indicated that it was preparing for retaliation. Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi held a briefing in the evening that focused on “readiness in all areas, both offensive and defensive,” it said.

The simultaneous explosion of hundreds of so-called pagers on Tuesday injured around 2,750 people in Lebanon and killed nine people. Many of the injured are said to be Hezbollah fighters, including members of the elite Radwan force. The pro-Iranian Shiite militia blamed Israel and threatened retaliation. Nabih Berri, the Lebanese parliamentary speaker who is allied with Hezbollah, spoke of a “massacre and war crime by Israel”. In memory of the victims of the incidents and in protest, schools and universities in Lebanon are to remain closed today.

Pager in Lebanon allegedly loaded with explosives

According to media reports, the radio receivers that exploded were probably rigged with explosives by Israeli agents. Many of them came from a shipment that Hezbollah received in recent days, reported the Wall Street Journal, citing informed sources. Israeli agents intercepted the Taiwan-made devices before they arrived in Lebanon and loaded each one with around 25 to 50 grams of explosives, reported the New York Times, citing American and other officials who were informed about the operation.

According to information from 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 powerful militia and creating the feeling in its ranks that it was completely penetrated by Israeli intelligence, Axios quoted an unnamed source as saying. The USA, Israel’s most important ally, was not involved, according to a spokesman for the US State Department, and therefore did not know in advance of such an action.

Iran speaks of “terrorist act” by Israel

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the explosions as a “terrorist act” and blamed Israel. The Islamic Republic of Iran is an important ally of the Hezbollah militia, and both deny the Jewish state the right to exist. Araghchi expressed his condolences to his Lebanese colleague Abdullah Bou Habib and offered Iran’s support.

In light of recent events, the United Nations is warning strongly against an escalation in the Middle East. “These developments are extremely worrying, particularly given that this is happening in an extremely unstable context,” said UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric.

Fear of escalation

The radio receivers in Lebanon were detonated just hours after a meeting of the Israeli security cabinet. The cabinet had declared the return of Israeli citizens who had fled from fighting between the army and Hezbollah to their homes in the north of the country to be one of the war aims – in addition to the liberation of hostages from the contested Gaza Strip and the destruction of the Islamist Hamas, which is allied with Hezbollah.

The only way to achieve this is “military action,” Israel’s Defense Minister Joav Galant said on Monday at a meeting with US mediator Amos Hochstein, according to his office. The possibility of a diplomatic solution to the conflict with Hezbollah is becoming increasingly remote because the militia has linked its fate with that of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and refuses to end the conflict.

People displaced from border area

Since the Gaza war began almost a year ago, there have been almost daily confrontations between Hezbollah and the Israeli military in the border region between Israel and Lebanon. There have been deaths on both sides as a result of the mutual shelling – most of them were members of Hezbollah. Around 60,000 Israelis have had to leave their homes in northern Israel. Thousands of people have also fled from southern Lebanon to other parts of the country.

Israel wants to use military and diplomatic pressure to force the Hezbollah militia to withdraw behind the Litani River, 30 kilometers from the border – as required by UN Resolution 1701. However, Hezbollah does not want to stop the fighting until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza.

US wants to revive Gaza negotiations

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wants to be in Egypt by Thursday to revive talks to end the Gaza war. However, an agreement between Israel and Hamas currently seems virtually impossible. Egypt, Qatar and the USA are acting as mediators.

The Palestinians are calling on the UN General Assembly to vote for a resolution calling for Israel’s withdrawal from occupied territories. “Please stand on the right side of history, with international law, with freedom, with peace. The alternative is what you see every day on your television screens and what the Palestinian people have to endure in their flesh,” said Palestinian representative to the United Nations Riad Mansur in New York.

Israel criticizes draft resolution

The draft resolution is intended to enforce the implementation of a legal opinion from the UN’s highest court on the Middle East conflict; a vote is expected today. If the draft resolution is adopted, it would not be binding under international law. Israel’s UN ambassador sharply criticized the Palestinians’ move.

Israel conquered and occupied the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of 1967. The Palestinians claim these territories for their own state, which should be established alongside Israel and which most countries, including Germany, support.