Lebanon accuses Israel of deadly pager sabotage
Thousands injured, several dead in alleged Israeli pager sabotage
Lebanon has accused Israel of orchestrating the sabotage of thousands of pagers, resulting in explosions that killed several individuals and injured thousands. This move appears aimed at weakening Hezbollah, the Islamist militant group.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the attack, which follows nearly a year of cross-border rocket fire between the two sides, adding a second front to the conflict in Gaza.
United Nations, government, and tech-industry officials remain puzzled over the coordinated blasts’ execution. Veterans of Israel’s intelligence agencies, Mossad and Shin Bet, have previously disclosed details of high-tech assassinations.
Shin Bet eliminated Yahya Ayyash, a bombmaker from Hamas known as “the Engineer,” in Gaza in 1996 using a mobile phone rigged with explosives.
A Palestinian intermediary gave Ayyash the phone to receive a call from his father. Israeli eavesdroppers confirmed Ayyash’s voice on the line before remotely detonating the device, causing a fatal head injury.
In 1997, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the assassination of Khaled Meshaal, Hamas’s politburo chief, in Amman. Two undercover Mossad agents sprayed poison onto Meshaal’s neck as he exited his car. One agent opened a can of Coca-Cola to divert suspicion.
The plan failed when Meshaal’s daughter ran after him, alerting an aide who noticed the assassins. Jordanian police captured the agents, who were repatriated only after Israel provided an antidote to save Meshaal’s life.
Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a Hamas arms procurer, was found dead in his Dubai hotel room in 2010. Initially deemed a natural death, the case was reopened after Hamas accused Israel of his murder.
Investigations revealed CCTV footage of a Mossad hit team using cloned European passports and posing as tourists and hotel staff. An autopsy showed Mabhouh had been sedated and smothered.
Between 2010 and 2020, several Iranian nuclear scientists were killed or injured in bombings and shootings, which authorities attributed to Israel. Most attacks involved magnetized bombs attached to vehicles by motorcyclists.
Israel has not confirmed responsibility for these strikes, although officials acknowledged a shadow war with Iran. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett later took credit for a similar assassination in 2022.
Iran’s chief nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was shot dead in 2020 while driving near Tehran. Some Iranian reports suggested the use of a satellite-controlled sniper rifle mounted on a pickup truck with AI face recognition.
Israel did not confirm the killing, though Netanyahu had previously identified Fakhrizadeh as the head of a secret nuclear weapons program, urging people to “remember his name.”
What Other Media Are Saying
- Bloomberg article explores covert Israeli operations, including exploding pagers in Lebanon and toxic spray attacks, highlighting potential retaliation and political tensions. (Read more)
- Moneycontrol highlights how Israel’s Mossad orchestrated the deadly pager explosions as a “use it or lose it” moment to cripple Hezbollah, leveraging hacked pagers with explosives. (Read more)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions asked about this news
Did Israel confirm they were behind the pager explosions in Lebanon?
No, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility.
How did Shin Bet assassinate Yahya Ayyash?
They used a mobile phone fitted with explosives, detonated remotely.
What tactic did Mossad use in the failed assassination of Khaled Mashaal?
Two Mossad agents sprayed poison on his neck, disguised as a soda spill.
How was Mahmoud al-Mabhouh killed in Dubai?
He was sedated and smothered by a Mossad hit team posing as tourists.
What method was reportedly used to kill Iranian nuclear scientists?
Magnetized bombs attached to vehicles by passing motorcyclists.
