Lebanon - At least nine killed and close to 3,000 injured after pager explotions, 17 september 2024

[Rikissa]

Pager explosions in Lebanon.

Lebanon pager attack latest: Exploding walkie-talkies kill 14 and injure at least 450

At least three people are reported to have died in the latest blasts, a day after thousands of pagers exploded across Lebanon.

www.bbc.com

Hezbollah blames Israel as health minister says at least nine killed and thousands injured in Lebanon pager explosions – live

Militant group warns of retaliation after deadly blasts that have left nearly 3,000 people injured

www.theguardian.com

 

[Rikissa]

12 dead now, two of them children, information from the Lebanese health minisrer.

Two children among 12 dead from pager explosions, Lebanon’s health minister says – Middle East crisis live

About 3,000 people are reported to have been injured by the wave of explosions that struck Lebanon on Tuesday

www.theguardian.com

 

[Fabled Automatic]

15 now dead, thousands injured.

 

[sds71]

At least 14 people are now dead and 450 injured from Wednesday’s walkie-talkie explosions in Lebanon, according to the country’s health ministry.

https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/lebanon-pagers-explode-hezbollah-israel-09-18-24-intl-hnk/index.html

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1836417848333255036

 

[Inthedetails]

At least 14 people are now dead and 450 injured from Wednesday’s walkie-talkie explosions in Lebanon, according to the country’s health ministry.

https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/lebanon-pagers-explode-hezbollah-israel-09-18-24-intl-hnk/index.html

Just making sure readers on the thread realize this is a SECOND event. Yesterday pagers exploded and today walkie talkies exploded.

(When I first heard today's story, I thought it was an update about the pagers. But they are two different events.)

jmo

 

[Chimera]

Pager explosions in Lebanon.

Lebanon pager attack latest: Exploding walkie-talkies kill 14 and injure at least 450

At least three people are reported to have died in the latest blasts, a day after thousands of pagers exploded across Lebanon.

www.bbc.com

Hezbollah blames Israel as health minister says at least nine killed and thousands injured in Lebanon pager explosions – live

Militant group warns of retaliation after deadly blasts that have left nearly 3,000 people injured

www.theguardian.com

Thanks for the links and starting this thread, @Rikissa .

From the Guardian link :
Is this a prelude to an all-out war in Lebanon, or a substitute for one ?

Israel’s double-punch humiliation of Hezbollah is a dance on the edge of an abyss

I would suggest or posit that the war, and the dance on the edge of the abyss -- came at 6:30 am; on October 7th 2023.
Really distressing to hear msm continuously blame Israel for a conflict they didn't start.
But they sure as heck are going to defend themselves and would end the war if they could !!

Also from the link :
Speaking to RT, Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called the Lebanon blasts a “heinous act of terrorism”.
Zakharova went on to add:
"...All the signs are there of an international terrorist attack because it is obvious that in order to gather such a large amount of equipment, it had to be brought in, crossing several borders...."
Rbm.

Not necessarily.
All that had to be done was to disrupt the supply line from elsewhere ?
Insert a substance to make the pagers/walkie-talkies overheat simultaneously, and 'boom'.
A massive effort and thankful it wasn't discovered too soon.

I strongly disagree with Zakharova, the heinous act already happened in 2023.

Hezbollah and Hamas and those nations who support them, need to be stopped from their war mongering, and the entire terrorist network needs to be dismantled down to the last person, or the next attack will be far more widespread and deadlier, if they're allowed to flourish.
Omo.

 

[Rikissa]

Doesn't it all go back to 2 April 1947, when the United Kingdom requested that the Palestine question to be handled by the United Nations General Assembly?

 

[GRT]

Sidestepping all political opinions, this is a sad event.

Indiscriminate explosions that killed and maimed. Oh, sure, they had a reason. Just like the Boston Bombers had a reason.

This seems less like a war maneuver and more like terrorism.

JMOO

 

[Fabled Automatic]

The attacks — which were widely believed to be carried out by Israel targeting Hezbollah but have also killed civilians — have hiked fears that the two sides’ simmering conflict could escalate into all-out war.

Speaking to Israeli troops on Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, “We are at the start of a new phase in the war — it requires courage, determination and perseverance.” He made no mention of the exploding devices but praised the work of Israel’s army and security agencies, saying “the results are very impressive.”

Lebanon is rocked again by exploding devices as Israel declares a new phase of war

 

[nao]

Moo....sitting here with my cell phone in hand, I feel really uncomfortable. Explosive hand held devices, seems very indiscriminate. Is this not by definition terrorism?....moo

 

[Chimera]

Just my opinion here.
These were surgical strikes intended to show not just in Lebanon but elsewhere --- who the operatives are.
Not indiscriminate.

A person doesn't have to be an active combatant, or 'boots on the ground' -- aka those who were there attacking innocent people and taking hostages on that terrible day.
They can however work busily and covertly behind the scenes to assist the Hezbollah terrorists.
This defensive maneuver exposed the participants in a very public way.
There is nothing wrong with defending oneself.
Imo.
Omo.

 

[PrairieWind]

Moo....sitting here with my cell phone in hand, I feel really uncomfortable. Explosive hand held devices, seems very indiscriminate. Is this not by definition terrorism?....moo

This seems to me to be a very targeted attack. Hezbollah is firing rockets into Israel with little regard for where they land. IDF or Mossad found a way to target actual Hezbollah operatives and attack them directly. But in a broader sense, it seems to me that condemning them for "terror tactics" is pointless. "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter" is a quote we often hear, and groups using horrific tactics are no longer even condemned by the UN or media. So what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

 

[Vern]

This seems to me to be a very targeted attack. Hezbollah is firing rockets into Israel with little regard for where they land. IDF or Mossad found a way to target actual Hezbollah operatives and attack them directly. But in a broader sense, it seems to me that condemning them for "terror tactics" is pointless. "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter" is a quote we often hear, and groups using horrific tactics are no longer even condemned by the UN or media. So what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

I agree. Personally, I don't consider simultaneous strikes against members of the Hezbollah organisations' pager-carrying members to be a terror attack. It was not indiscriminate, it targetted actual terrorist members with what is probably the widest attack with what is probably the most minimal collateral casualties the world has experienced to date. Extremely targetted and extremely precise (unlike rockets).

I'm quite comfortable carrying my cell phone and I've heard no reports of the masses getting rid of theirs (except maybe for terrorists).

 

[nao]

Moo. .my opinion is not based on who did this or why. War is air raid sirens, soldiers. Poisons or exploding devices with no warning, just feels low and ugly. But to each their own opinion...moo

 

[Rikissa]

I agree. Personally, I don't consider simultaneous strikes against members of the Hezbollah organisations' pager-carrying members to be a terror attack. It was not indiscriminate, it targetted actual terrorist members with what is probably the widest attack with what is probably the most minimal collateral casualties the world has experienced to date. Extremely targetted and extremely precise (unlike rockets).

How did the people responsible for the strikes made sure that it was only their targets that had access to the planted electronics? What if a child or a partner picked up the devices when they rang? At least two of the dead were children, were they also targets?

 

[PrairieWind]

How did the people responsible for the strikes made sure that it was only their targets that had access to the planted electronics? What if a child or a partner picked up the devices when they rang? At least two of the dead were children, were they also targets?

Pagers were given to Hezbollah operatives. Mossad knew this and targeted them. Hezbollah fires hundreds of rockets into Israel every month that land in civilian areas. At least Mossad tried to target Hezbollah agents. It would be hard to find a way that better limited collateral damage than this operation. Hezbollah doesn't even try to limit civilian casualties.

 

[sds71]

Effective immediately: Following the directive received from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of the Republic of Lebanon, all passengers flying from Beirut Rafic Harirl International Airport (BEY) are prohibited from carrying pagers and walkie-talkies on board flights.…

https://twitter.com/x/status/1836782990715666674

 

[GRT]

Moo....sitting here with my cell phone in hand, I feel really uncomfortable. Explosive hand held devices, seems very indiscriminate. Is this not by definition terrorism?....moo

By strict definition, I believe you are correct. It's indiscriminate due to the method of attack. It does qualify as terrorism. MOO

While Israel may have had information that the pagers would mainly be used by Hezbollah, they had no way of knowing who would be nearby or if the pager would be lying on a bedside table next to a toddler's crib. We know at least 12 people have died from the first round of explosions, including children and healthcare workers, and nearly 3,000 were injured, some losing eyes or limbs.

But, more than that--this is a type of technology that can be used by other known terrorists against Americans or others. Israel may have done it first--but they're almost certainly not going to be the last. MOO

 

[PrairieWind]

By strict definition, I believe you are correct. It's indiscriminate due to the method of attack. It does qualify as terrorism. MOO

While Israel may have had information that the pagers would mainly be used by Hezbollah, they had no way of knowing who would be nearby or if the pager would be lying on a bedside table next to a toddler's crib. We know at least 12 people have died from the first round of explosions, including children and healthcare workers, and nearly 3,000 were injured, some losing eyes or limbs.

But, more than that--this is a type of technology that can be used by other known terrorists against Americans or others. Israel may have done it first--but they're almost certainly not going to be the last. MOO

I would have to disagree. I think this is about as targeted as it can get. Nothing is 100%. But this was directed to the targets in a reasonable way.

As for others now using the same method... perhaps. They could have before as well. We have seen terrorist organizations push the envelope on new methods of attack before. This time, the tables were turned. I am guessing we will now see new tech and methods developed to ensure communication device safety moving forward.

Also, I don't think this would qualify as terrorism (depending on whose definition you use of course) because it was directed against combatants.