Hundreds of Hezbollah members reportedly injured by exploding pagers | BBC News
Summary
TLDRA series of explosions has injured hundreds of Hezbollah fighters and civilians across Lebanon after their communication pagers were hacked, reportedly by Israel. The devices, used as a safer alternative to mobile phones due to past sabotage concerns, detonated almost simultaneously in various locations, including Beirut. While most explosions caused non-lethal injuries, they have heightened tensions, especially as Israel aims to push Hezbollah further north. Iran's ambassador to Lebanon was also injured. The event raises fears of an escalated conflict between Hezbollah and Israel amidst the ongoing Gaza war.
Takeaways
- 💥 Hundreds of Hezbollah fighters have been injured due to their communication devices exploding across Lebanon.
- 🕵️♂️ The explosions are being described as an unprecedented hostile act, and Iran's ambassador to Lebanon is reported to be among the injured.
- 🛒 One of the explosions took place in a supermarket in Beirut, where a pager detonated in a bag carried by a man.
- 🚑 Many injuries have been reported, with ambulances rushing through Beirut and other parts of Lebanon to assist the wounded.
- 🩸 Lebanon's Health Ministry has called for blood donations and hospital staff to report for duty as the number of injured rises.
- 📟 The devices that exploded were pagers, not mobile phones, as Hezbollah had ordered the use of pagers to avoid mobile phone hacking.
- 🔐 Unnamed security officials claim the pagers were hacked by Israel, although Israel has not commented on the matter.
- 💣 The explosions were not designed to be lethal but have caused significant injuries, some of which were severe.
- 🚀 The explosions come amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, with Israel aiming to push Hezbollah further north from the border.
- 🇮🇷 There are concerns that this event may escalate tensions, potentially involving Iran and leading to further conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
Q & A
What was the breaking news event described in the transcript?
-The breaking news involved the detonation of communication devices, specifically pagers, used by Hezbollah fighters and others across Lebanon. Hundreds of people were injured as a result.
What type of devices were involved in the explosions?
-The devices involved were pagers, not mobile phones. These pagers were used by Hezbollah fighters and officials for communication.
Why were Hezbollah members using pagers instead of mobile phones?
-Hezbollah ordered its members to use pagers rather than mobile phones due to the risk of mobile phones being sabotaged, citing past incidents where Israeli intelligence used mobile phones to target individuals.
What is the significance of Yahya Ayyash's assassination in this context?
-Yahya Ayyash, a Hamas bomb maker, was assassinated by Israeli intelligence in 1996 using an exploding mobile phone, which set a precedent for Hezbollah’s decision to avoid using mobile phones due to similar sabotage fears.
Who has been suspected of tampering with these devices?
-Unnamed security officials have suggested that Israel was behind the tampering of the pagers, though Israel has not commented on the matter.
Were the pager explosions fatal?
-Most of the pager explosions were low charge and did not appear to be designed to kill. While they caused serious injuries, the vast majority were not fatal.
What broader conflict does this event relate to?
-The pager explosions are part of the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, particularly along the Lebanon-Israel border, which has seen exchanges of fire and heightened tensions.
What is Hezbollah’s military strength in the region?
-Hezbollah is considered the most powerful non-state military force in the Middle East, with a massive arsenal of rockets that they can launch at Israel.
What are the potential political and military repercussions of this event?
-This event is likely to escalate tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, with expectations of Hezbollah retaliating, possibly with Iran’s support. The risk of a wider conflict in the region remains high.
How is Lebanon’s civilian population affected by the ongoing conflict?
-Lebanon's civilian population is suffering as the country’s economy is in a dire state. There is widespread concern that any further escalation of the conflict with Israel could devastate Lebanon even more.
Outlines
📰 Breaking News: Hezbollah Devices Explode
An unprecedented incident in the Middle East has seen hundreds of Hezbollah fighters injured as their communication devices, specifically pagers, exploded across Lebanon. The devices, suspected to be hacked, were widely used by Hezbollah members, including medics and officials, to avoid mobile phone tracking. Israel is widely believed to be behind this act, although it has not commented. Injuries have been reported across several locations, including Beirut, and there is a significant medical emergency underway. This incident marks one of the most significant security breaches for Hezbollah, raising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah further.
🚑 Lebanon in Crisis: Fear of Escalation
Large crowds gather at hospitals in Beirut as the injured from the pager explosions are brought in, including Iran's ambassador to Lebanon. The incident has escalated fears of a broader conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which has already been engaged in clashes with Hamas in Gaza. Recent assassinations by Israel of key figures in Hezbollah and Hamas have fueled the tensions, and retaliation is anticipated. While Hezbollah is one of the most powerful non-state military forces in the region, any significant escalation would severely impact Lebanon's already struggling economy. Diplomatic tensions are running high, with concerns that this could lead to a larger regional conflict.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Hezbollah
💡Pager Explosions
💡Israel
💡Beirut
💡Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon
💡Gaza War
💡Shin Bet
💡Low-charge Explosions
💡Revenge
💡Southern Suburbs of Beirut
Highlights
Hundreds of Hezbollah fighters injured by exploding communication devices across Lebanon, described as an unprecedented hostile act.
Iran's ambassador to Lebanon is reportedly among those affected by the device explosions.
Explosions of these devices, mostly pagers, occurred in various locations, including Beirut and southern Lebanon.
Lebanon's Health Ministry has urged people to donate blood and staff to report to hospitals due to the high number of injuries.
Unnamed security officials claim the pagers were hacked by Israel, though Israel has not commented.
These devices were believed to be a safer option by Hezbollah due to previous incidents involving sabotaged mobile phones.
The explosions, while causing serious injuries, were not designed to be lethal, though hundreds have been injured.
This incident coincides with Israel extending its war aims to expel Hezbollah from the border regions.
The low-grade conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has displaced thousands on both sides of the border.
Iran's ambassador to Lebanon is among those injured in the pager explosions.
Reports suggest the pagers were newly ordered by Hezbollah in recent months and used by fighters, medics, and officials.
There is a fear that this incident could escalate tensions and lead to a wider conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
Hezbollah vowed revenge after previous Israeli assassinations of its leaders and Hamas commanders.
Israel's intelligence agencies, including Shin Bet and Mossad, are suspected of being behind the incident, though they have not confirmed involvement.
Lebanese authorities are urging Hezbollah not to escalate the conflict, citing the fragile state of Lebanon's economy and infrastructure.
Transcripts
start with that breaking news from the
Middle East because hundreds of
Hezbollah Fighters have been injured by
their communication devices exploding
across Lebanon what's been described as
an unprecedented hostile act Iran's
ambassador to Lebanon is reported to
have been among those affected well let
me just show you the moment that one
pager exploded in a supermarket in
bayout there you see people rushing away
the explosion in the foreground
apparently it was in a bag been carried
by a man and that just one of the
locations and similar things have been
reported in so many different parts of
Lebanon in Beirut in southern Lebanon
other videos posted online show people
with injuries some of them really severe
ambulances have been seen rushing
through the southern suburbs of Beirut
to Hezbollah stronghold lebanon's Health
Ministry has called on staff to report
to hospitals and for people to donate
blood it said anyone with a pager should
immediately discarded unnamed security
officials say the pages were hacked by
Israel which hasn't commented Hezbollah
official called it the biggest security
breach suffered by the group well with
me in the studio is our security
correspondent Frank Gardner and Frank
these still the the early details of
this it was first being reported uh less
than two hours ago take me through first
of all what we know sure I mean it's
extraordinary this um almost
unprecedented I can't think of any case
where you've got a simultaneous almost
simultaneous explosion of so many
personal devices now these were not
mobile phones they were Pages which
sounds very 20th century but the reason
for that is that when the Gaza War uh or
conflict began after October 7th
massacre in southern Israel um an order
went out by hasbalah to its people not
to use mobile phones in case they were
sabotaged and the reason for that is
there's a bit of History here is that
back
in January 1996 somebody called Yahya
aesh who was known as El mandis the the
engineer he was the chief bomb maker for
Hamas and he was assassinated by shinb
Israeli intelligence with an exploding
mobile phone so people have always been
a bit wary of those and what H yet what
happened this afternoon was the almost
simultaneous detonation of these devices
these pages that had been used by
hundreds of Hezbollah not just Fighters
but Medics officials and others they
appear to have been tampered with at
some stage they've been ordered
relatively recently in some cases only
received with the last few days Israel
is not commenting on who might have been
behind it Frank before I ask you the
next question I want to put on the
screen again just that video of one of
the explosions because you were just
describing how there are so many blasts
and there you see it in the in the
foreground uh an explosion in a bag you
mentioned that it wasn't a mobile phone
it was Pages I'm reading here and it's
been quoted three security sources
talking to Reuters saying that the pages
uh that were detonated were the latest
model brought in by Hezbollah in recent
months so exactly as you're saying these
are all things that they had purchased
in the last few weeks yeah and that they
thought that they were doing the safest
option um interestingly these devices
are don't appear to be designed to be
lethal so they've they've um inflicted
some very n wounds some injuries on
people many of whom are in civilian
dress now they may or may not work for
Hezbollah they may be bystanders but you
know there's there are hundreds of
wounded have' been brought to hospitals
across Lebanon mainly in the southern
suburbs of dya in beut um but they are
for the most part low charge so you know
not packing enough to actually kill
somebody in the vast majority of cases
but to send a very strong message and
let's not forget that this comes on the
same day that Israel has extended its
War aims to include expelling Hezbollah
basically from the border so the low
grade ongoing conflict that Israel has
with Lebanon on the sou on that border
the joint border they've got has driven
roughly 60,000 Israelis away from their
homes and businesses on the Israeli side
of the Border a bigger number than that
on the Lebanese side hundreds of
casualties in total on both sides and
there's a lot of political pressure on
Israel's cabinet to deal with this once
and for all to deal with the problem of
Hezbollah firing rockets and drones and
missiles across that border they want to
push Hezbollah north of What's called
the Lani river which is technically at
the end of the 2006 War that's where it
was supposed to have stayed but they've
crept South and that's why there is this
ongoing exchange of fire Frank before I
ask you the next question let me just
show you the live pictures from one of
those medical centers that
we have pictures coming into us from
bayroot because large amounts of people
around one of those Hospital centers
there you can see just scores of people
waiting I suppose for updates and some
of the injured being taken to Medical
establishments like that now it is being
reported by reuter that Iran's
ambassador to Lebanon is one of those
injured you were making the point in
terms of the whole backdrop to this but
the fear has always been about a wider
war between Hezbollah and Israel
alongside that war that's already going
on with Hamas in Gaza this adds to all
of those fears doesn't it it does and
remember that uh it wasn't that long ago
on I think it was July the 30th that
Israel admitted assassinating somebody
called f shukar in the southern suburbs
very close to where most of this is
concentrated Southern subur was a beut
and he was a senior commander in
Hezbollah he was assassinated with a
Precision drone strike that hit him in a
building Israel um openly admitted it
that was followed of course a day later
by the assassination of Ismael hania in
Teran which Israel has not uh owned up
to but everybody assumes it was them he
was the political leader of Hamas so
after that hasbalah vowed Revenge um the
have there was a sort of flurry of
rockets from Hezbollah and Hezbollah
after that said right score settled for
now um this I think regardless of the
fact that Israel hasn't commented on it
is going to be laid at the door of shinb
or mosad Israel's intelligence agencies
Hezbollah will expect to demand some
kind of retaliation some sort of Revenge
um and Iran of course will probably
support them at least verbally and
diplomatically uh and possibly even with
Supply further weapons because Hezbollah
are the most powerful non-state military
force in the Middle East they are a
force to be reckoned with they've got a
massive arsenal of rockets which is sort
of poised should they choose to launch
them at Israel now the retaliation would
decimate Lebanon the Lebanese are saying
please don't our economy is on Dar State
we're on our knees please don't up the
war with Israel anymore than it is
already but that's why it's a very
febrile tense atmosphere and you're
right something like this could tip it
over the edge Frank Gardner thanks very
much for that analysis
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