potential manipulation of Hezbollah's social media accounts uncovered
The synchronous detonation of numerous pagers has inflicted significant damage on the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia situated in Lebanon. Experts presume this unusual occurrence to be an orchestrated attack by the Israeli intelligence community against the Shiite militia and its allies in Tehran. As reported by the Lebanese government, approximately nine individuals lost their lives, and nearly 2,800 other individuals sustained injuries, including the Iranian ambassador stationed in Beirut. A young girl tragically perished in the aftermath of this catastrophic incident.
Hezbollah favors pagers due to their enhanced security measures. By utilizing a different radio frequency, they are able to circumvent the potential risks of their communication being traced, intercepted, or obstructed. Experts reasonably suspect that Israel tampered with the now-exploded radio pagers that had been acquired by Hezbollah members before delivering them. Consequently, they all detonated simultaneously on a predetermined day.
According to the AFP news agency, sources close to Hezbollah declared that the exploded pagers had recently been imported. The militant group had procured a thousand of these gadgets, which had allegedly been compromised at their point of origin.
Was a new company established for this purpose?
If Israel had orchestrated this operation by incorporating explosives into the newly-commissioned pagers, it would have required access to the supply chain of these gadgets, asserts Elijah Magnier, a military and security analyst based in Brussels. It is widely believed that the Israeli intelligence agency infiltrated the production process by incorporating an explosive element and remote detonation mechanisms into the pagers without any suspicion arising. According to Magnier, the pager supplier could have even been a company created by the Israeli intelligence agency for the specific purpose of executing this plot.
Charles Lister, a researcher affiliated with the Middle East Institute in the United States, insists that "this wasn't merely the disabling of lithium batteries." Instead, a small quantity of plastic explosive might have been integrated into the battery, which could be detonated by a phone call or radio signal.
"Mossad infiltrated the supply chain," concludes Lister, referring to the Israeli intelligence agency. According to Riad Kahwaji, a Dubai-based analyst, it is undeniable that a factory controlled by Israel manufactured and supplied the explosives that detonated today.
Analysts suspect months of preparation time
Former CIA analyst Mike DiMino of the US think tank Defense Priorities opined, based on images of injuries in Lebanon, that a "minuscule explosive device" within the pagers, as opposed to battery overheating, was likely the culprit behind the explosion. "This was a conventional sabotage operation," DiMino hypothesized, suggesting that its preparation probably required "months, if not years."
Israel had previously demonstrated its proficiency in obtaining precise intelligence about the whereabouts of a powerful Hezbollah commander by successfully eliminating Hezbollah's military chief, Fuad Shukr, in an airstrike on July 30. The following day, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyah met a tragic end in Tehran due to an explosive device that Israel had supposedly planted weeks earlier.
The Lebanese militia has since accused Israel of this "heinous aggression." The international community can no longer tolerate excuses that condone and criticize such actions following this assault on the "Israeli terrorist apparatus," as stated by Nabih Berri, the Hezbollah-affiliated parliament speaker. Despite not routinely commenting on the actions of foreign security agencies, Israel has neither confessed nor denied these accusations. In response to the victims and in protest, schools and universities throughout Lebanon will remain closed on Wednesday.
The European Union has expressed concern over the escalating tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, calling for peace and dialogue to prevent further conflict. The European Union strongly condemns the use of such violent methods and emphasizes the importance of resolving issues diplomatically.
Given the recent events, the European Union may increase its surveillance and monitoring of activities involving radio frequencies and communication devices, especially in the Middle East region, to ensure the safety and security of its citizens and interests.
