Israel demonstrated a preparedness for confrontation against Hezbollah following dual explosive assaults. Here's the current information.
Anxiety, worry, and sorrow now engulf the nation, as people grapple with the unfathomable events and ponder how these attacks happened, where the devices originated from, and if this recent development might trigger a larger-scale regional war in the Middle East.
At least 22 souls have been claims, which includes children, following the two assaults. This horrifying death toll was reported by Lebanese officials, who attributed the attacks to Israel. Additionally, thousands of people have sustained injuries, with numerous victims left crippled and in critical condition due to the explosion of communication devices outside their bodies or in their immediate vicinity.
Thus far, Israel has remained silent on the matter, choosing not to offer any public comments on the situation. However, a cryptic warning was issued on Wednesday, hinting at the beginning of "a new era" of hostilities – a coded admission of potential involvement.
Familiarize yourself with what we have learned so far:
What occurred, when, and where?
The initial attack transpired on Tuesday afternoon, as pagers detonated simultaneously across several localities in Lebanon, such as the capital Beirut, as well as various places in central Beqaa Valley, strongholds of the Iran-backed militant organization Hezbollah.
Footage captured the shock and bloodshed that ensued in public spaces and streets. For instance, a CCTV video caught a man buying fruit in a supermarket when an explosion occurred, causing him significant pain and leaving him writhing on the ground.
The tragic events put Lebanese hospitals under immense pressure, as limited staff were compelled to attend to hundreds of bandaged and bleeding patients. Due to the influx of injured individuals, numerous patients were left lying on the floor awaiting medical attention.
A second attack took place on Wednesday, with walkie-talkies detonating in the fringes of Beirut and in the country's southern region. In one account, provided by an anonymous source, a man attending a Hezbollah funeral witnessed another individual suffering devastating injuries after his hands were disintegrated by an imbedded walkie-talkie explosion. The incident ignited numerous fires in homes, commercial establishments, and vehicles, resulting in chaotic scenes and smoke billowing through the streets.
Why target Lebanon now?
Hezbollah and Israel have endured decades of open hostility, though their attacks on one another have escalated since the commencement of the conflict in Gaza last October, triggered by the lethal Hamas attack on Israel.
Hezbollah is a prominent component of a broader Iran-led alliance that covers various nations, including Yemen, Syria, Gaza, and Iraq, which has engaged in an ongoing skirmish against Israel and its allies over the past ten months.
The alliance has declared its intention to continue assaulting Israeli targets until the war in Gaza subsides, rebranding itself as a "supportive front" for Palestinians in the strip, as mentioned by a senior Hezbollah leader.
Israel might have chosen this moment – fraught with tension – to conduct these attacks, as they believed that Hezbollah had detected the pagers' capabilities. As a senior Israeli security source asserts, this constituted a "use-it-or-lose-it" situation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel might have also wished to bolster domestic support. Residents of the northern region, who have been evacuated due to repeated attacks, have grown increasingly vocal in their demands to return to their homes located near the border, putting pressure on the government to intervene against Hezbollah's rocket threats from southern Lebanon.
On Tuesday, Israel announced its intention to make the return of its northern citizens to their homes along the border a new war objective – a move widely regarded as a political necessity.
How did it occur?
There are numerous questions still unanswered regarding Israel's methodology in executing these attacks this week and the origins of the devices that detonated.
Hezbollah maintains a remarkable level of secrecy, and its leader previously urged families to discard their cellular devices to prevent infiltration from Israeli and American spyware. This may explain why many Hezbollah members and their relatives rely on low-technology wireless communication devices like pagers.
According to a Lebanese security source, the pagers used in the attack were recently acquired by Hezbollah, and the New York Times reported that Israel planted explosive charges near each device's battery, as well as a remote-detonation switch.
An intricate supply chain was traced to locate the pagers' origins, a circuitous route that spanned from Asia to Europe. The pagers discovered in Lebanon bore the name of a Taiwanese manufacturer, yet the company denied having manufactured or sold the devices, stating that they were instead fabricated and distributed by a Hungarian firm based in Budapest.
The Hungarian authorities also denied this, labeling the Budapest firm as a "trading intermediary" with no manufacturing facilities in the country. The Hungarian company did not respond to CNN's inquiries, however, NBC News reported that the CEO confirm she collaborated with the Taiwanese company in manufacturing the devices but denied having manufactured them herself and only served as an "intermediary." CNN was unable to confirm her statement.
The address of the Hong Kong company's headquarters is located in a residential area, with tenants reporting that they rarely see employees entering the building. Meanwhile, Lebanon claimed that the walkie-talkies used in the attack were an outdated model produced by Japanese firm ICOM.
The devices were not supplied by an official distributor, were not properly licensed, and had not been submitted for approval by the security services, Lebanese authorities declared. The Japanese firm, ICOM, stated that the model had been discontinued years ago, and could not verify whether the ones utilized in Lebanon were counterfeit or shipped directly from their facilities.
The complexities of these ongoing attacks continue to challenge investigators and global leaders alike, necessitating a comprehensive and objective examination of this terrifying turn of events.
It's less certain how much retaliatory power Hezbollah might possess if several of its members are hurt and crucial communication channels are no longer functional.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant seemed to refer to the assaults on Wednesday during a tour of an air force base, lauding the "impressive results" of the armed forces and intelligence agency.
"We're entering a fresh phase in this conflict and we must adjust to it," Gallant stated.
It appears that American officials were mostly uninformed until accounts of the blasts surfaced, according to three insiders with knowledge of the situation. Israeli officials informed the US about an impending "operation in Lebanon" on Tuesday, but they kept the specifics under wraps, the sources explained.
The UN right advocate criticized the attacks, labeling them a breach of international humanitarian law and urging a "comprehensive, fair, and transparent examination." Human Rights Watch concurred, stressing that the probe should be "prompt" and "instantly carried out."
CNN's Rob Picheta, Tamara Qiblawi, Christian Edwards, Mick Krever, Wayne Chang, Eric Cheung, Nectar Gan, Balint Bardi, Kara Fox, Oren Liebermann, and Kylie Atwood all contributed to the reporting.
Amidst international concern, the Middle East finds itself at the center of geopolitical tensions, with the recent attacks in Lebanon potentially sparking broader regional conflicts.
Given the current state of events in the Middle East, world leaders are closely watching developments in Lebanon and the potential escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
