The country is reeling from multiple explosions. Hezbollah says Israel are to blame.
Hundreds of Hezbollah members and Lebanese civilians have been wounded or killed by an alleged Israeli operation. Here’s what we know so far.
Where Did It Happen?
Explosions rocked Lebanon including the southern region of Beirut, after communication devices—now confirmed to be pagers—exploded in heavily civilian populated locations.
Why Do Hezbollah Think Israel Carried Out The Attack?
The incident is being framed as a mishap between the group’s fighters, but the outfit blamed Israel, describing it as a huge “security breach”.
They cite “mysterious explosions” hitting “various Hezbollah units and institutions” as a reason for their suspicions. The blasts appear to be coordinated given how widespread they are.
Pagers imported to Lebanon from a Taiwanese manufacturer were allegedly installed with explosive materials. Two ounces of blasting agents were placed next to multiple device batteries, allowing for easy detonation, according to international officials briefed on unfolding events.
News agency Reuters reached out to Israel for comment regarding the Lebanese party’s claims, but they declined to respond.
The national internal security agency, Shin Bet, claimed they had foiled a similar attempt in Tel Aviv a year ago.
How Many People Have Died?
According to officials, at least 21 people have been killed, including two children as well as 2,750 people across the country.
The incident comes after nearly a year of cross border skirmishes between Hezbollah and the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) following the invasion of Gaza.
Will Hezbollah Retaliate?
The group have vowed to respond saying they hold Israel “fully responsible”, and that it will get “its fair punishment”.
Is The United States Involved?
The United States government has denied they’re involved.
Public Reaction: What Are People Saying About The Incident?
Dan Sabbagh of The Guardian says “The Israeli intelligence service has been engaged in the assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders for decades but, if its involvement is confirmed, this represents a significant escalation.”
Writing in The Washington Post, Dan Ignatious said “An attack of this sophistication and daring in Lebanon could not have been staged by any other nation. The video scenes of Hezbollah fighters blown to the floor by their own communications devices sent an unmistakable Israeli message to the Iranian-backed militia: We own you. We can penetrate every space in which you operate.”
The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board made crass remarks about the situation using a headline pun that read “Hezbollah Gets a Pager Message”.
Being quoted in the New York Times, Mikko Hypponen of WithSecure and Europol explained why the attacks wee likely fuelled by remote detonation: “These pagers were likely modified in some way to cause these types of explosions — the size and strength of the explosion indicates it was not just the battery”.
Walkie Talkie Explosions Start New Wave Of Chaos
Fresh panic was sparked the following day as communication devices linked to Hezbollah detonated across the country. At present, 20 people have been confirmed dead with 450 people injured.
The items that exploded were reportedly IC-V82 walkie-talkies, manufactured by a Japanese company called ICOM.
According to the country’s National News Agency, several solar power systems exploded in civilian homes across Lebanon.
Stanisland Magazine 
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