How European-Made Pagers Became Key in Hezbollah’s Deadly Attack?

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How European-Made Pagers Became Key in Hezbollah's Deadly Attack?

Uncover the surprising role of European-made pagers in Hezbollah’s deadly attack during the Israel-Gaza war. Explore how this unlikely technology became a crucial tool in the group’s strategy.

As Hezbollah accused Israel and threatened retaliatory strikes, the Taiwanese manufacturer connected to pagers that blew up during a deadly as well as unprecedented incident in Lebanon has stated that the gadgets were built by a business in Europe.

On Tuesday, at least nine people were killed and almost 3,000 injured when thousands of pagers went off simultaneously and remotely throughout Lebanon. A small child was among the deceased, according to Firass Abiad, Lebanon’s health minister, while over 200 individuals had serious injuries.

Hezbollah conducted a “security and scientific investigation” into the origins of the explosions and declared that Israel will “get its fair punishment” for being responsible for the bombings. Ziad Makary, the minister of information for Lebanon, denounced the incident as “Israeli aggression.” Although senior commanders conducted a situational assessment “focusing on preparedness in both offence & defense in all arenas,” the Israeli military have not explicitly addressed the explosions.

According to a news agency’s investigation, pictures of the pagers surfaced after the incident, and the stickers on the rear looked to be consistent with pagers manufactured by the Taiwanese business Gold Apollo.

Hsu Ching-Kuang, the founder of the business, disputed on Wednesday that it had created the pagers, claiming instead that a European company with permission to use its trademark had produced them. “We did not own the product. All that was different, he added, was that it bore our trademark. “Our business operates responsibly. This is really awkward,” he uttered.

The explosions seemed to take advantage of the antiquated pagers which Hezbollah has used to thwart the deliberate killings of its supporters, who might have been located by cell phone signals. Mojtaba Amani, Iran’s ambassador to Beirut, is among those injured in the incident, reportedly.

According to a Hezbollah source, the attack was thought to be a reaction to the Shia militia’s purported effort to kill a former senior Israeli defense officer. The Israeli Shin Bet intelligence agency had made this revelation on Tuesday.

An inflow of patients swamped hospitals around Lebanon, prompting the establishment of a field hospital in Tyre, a city in the south, to house the injured. In the capital city of Lebanon, ambulance sirens continued to wail continuously for over three hours following the initial incident.

The move coincides with efforts by US officials to defuse the situation while maintaining their apprehension that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may launch an invasion from the ground of Lebanon. Attacks by Hamas on October 7th and Israel’s announcement that it will now battle Hezbollah along the Lebanon border were the catalysts for the war that led to the attack a few hours later.

The foundation of Hezbollah's military strategy is secrecy. Deadly pager blasts reveal a critical flaw

In an earlier statement, Hezbollah acknowledged the deaths of at least two combatants and a young child. According to later media accounts, the explosions also claimed the life of Ali Ammar, the son of Hezbollah MP.

These pager explosions occurred in Hezbollah householdsin the eastern Bekaa Valley, southern Lebanon, and the Dahiyeh neighborhood of Beirut.

"Incredible": The possibility of an enormous pager blast in Lebanon

Speaking anonymously, a Hezbollah official described the explosion as the organization’s “biggest security breach” since the Gaza battle began on October 7, when Hamas started strikes in southern Israel that resulted in 1,200 deaths and the kidnapping of roughly 250 others.

“This could easily be the greatest espionage blunder that Hezbollah has suffered in decades,” stated Jonathan Panikoff, former senior national intelligence commander for the US administration in the Middle East.

Deadly Signals: The Uncovering of European-Made Pagers in Hezbollah Attack on Israel

Tensions between Israel as well as Hezbollah have increased as a result of the alleged sabotage attack, which comes after months of targeted murders by Israel of senior Hezbollah leaders. The previous three weeks have seen an unsettling calm as both sides seemed to pull back from the verge of a regional conflict following a limited Hezbollah reaction to Israel’s killing of its top military leader, Fuad Shukur, within Beirut in late August.

The strike also poses a threat to US efforts to stop Iran, which supports the Lebanese Shia militia, via taking revenge on Israel for the July Tehran bombing that killed Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas.

It is “too early to say,” according to US State Department spokeswoman Matthew Miller, how this might impact negotiations for a Gaza truce. He said during a briefing that the US was not aware of the culprit and was not involved. According to Hamas, the strike is an “escalation” that will ultimately result in Israel’s defeat.