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Pagers rigged with explosives kill 9, wound 2,800 in Lebanon

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Small amounts of explosives had been added to the pagers after they were shipped from the manufacturer, Gold Apollo, based in Taiwan, Reuters reported, citing Lebanese sources. The pagers were part of an order of 5,000 ordered by Hezbollah and delivered in the spring.

The sources did not name the type of explosive that was used, but one security source told Reuters it was as little as three grams. The New York Times, quoting anonymous American sources, said the amount of explosive could have been 1 to 2 ounces.

Gold Apollo says it did not make pagers used in Lebanon blasts

Ambulances raced through the streets and the Lebanese Red Cross called on doctors and nurses to come to the hospital and on civilians to donate blood. Lebanese officials said the deaths and large numbers of injuries were caused when pagers exploded and called on the public not to use any pagers in their possession.

Iran state media reported the country’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was among those wounded by an exploding pager.

A Civil Defense first responder carries a wounded man whose handheld pager exploded at al-Zahraa hospital in Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 17, 2024.
A Civil Defense first responder carries a wounded man whose handheld pager exploded at al-Zahraa hospital in Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 17, 2024.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah issued a statement Tuesday blaming the blasts on Israel, which has not officially commented.

At least two Hezbollah members were reported dead. Lebanon’s Health Minister Firass Abiad said a girl was also killed.

Israeli analysts said it was the biggest security breach Hezbollah had suffered since the war with Israel began almost a year ago and showed Israel’s intelligence capabilities against Hezbollah.

Lebanese press reports said the pagers were relatively new and had been given to the Hezbollah operatives in the past few months. They had been using pagers to communicate as Israel is able to track and record cellphones.

A soldier looks on near American University of Beirut Medical Center as more than 1,000 people were wounded when the pagers they use to communicate exploded across Lebanon, according to a security source, in Beirut, Sept. 17, 2024.
A soldier looks on near American University of Beirut Medical Center as more than 1,000 people were wounded when the pagers they use to communicate exploded across Lebanon, according to a security source, in Beirut, Sept. 17, 2024.

The alleged Israeli attack increased tensions further between Israel and Lebanon. Local officials near the Israeli border called on residents to stay close to bomb shelters fearing a Hezbollah response.

Earlier Tuesday, Israel had announced the expansion of its war against Hamas in Gaza to include the goal of making it possible for residents of northern Israel to return to homes they evacuated due to clashes with Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border. More than 100,000 have fled on the Lebanese side of the border.

Until now, the fighting has been focused in Gaza, where the Hamas-affiliated health ministry says more than 41,000 have been killed, a death toll Israel says includes 17,000 militant fighters.

A police officer inspects a car in which a hand-held pager exploded, in Beirut, Sept. 17, 2024.
A police officer inspects a car in which a hand-held pager exploded, in Beirut, Sept. 17, 2024.

But the focus seems to be shifting to Lebanon, with some Israeli officials calling for a ground campaign to move Hezbollah back from the border and allow the Israeli citizens to return home.

Hezbollah has said it would cease its attacks if there was a deal for a cease-fire in Gaza between Israel and U.S.-designated terror group Hamas. That deal seemed close a few weeks ago, but both sides have hardened their positions.

Qatar’s foreign minister, Majed al Ansari, said talks are continuing.

“When it comes to the possibility of a deal taking place anytime soon, of course we remain hopeful at every juncture, and we are conducting all the communications that we can during the current time. So I can’t comment on the prospects of a deal taking place right now but I can tell you that we remain hopeful and we continue with our efforts,” he said.

VOA

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