EPAAn ambulance drives through Beirut after the wave of explosions
NOS News•Tuesday, 20:49•Modified Tuesday, 22:28
Much is still unclear about the wave of explosions that swept through Lebanon and parts of Syria this afternoon. At least nine people in Lebanon have been killed and nearly 3,000 injured after their pagers exploded, the Lebanese Ministry of Health reports. Pagers also exploded in parts of Syria.
At around 3:30 p.m., Hezbollah members’ beepers began to heat up and explode in the hands or pockets of those carrying them, Lebanese security officials and Hezbollah told AP news agencyAt that moment the street was busy.
A security camera in a Beirut supermarket shows a man’s bag exploding:
Man’s bag explodes in Beirut supermarket
The beepers, worn by many Hezbollah members and used for communication, detonated almost simultaneously. A Hezbollah official immediately called the blasts an Israeli attack and called the explosions the “biggest breach of security” since shelling between Hezbollah and Israel began last October.
What is a pager?
The beeper (also called pager, buzzer or semafoon) is a device with which you can send someone a signal or text message. They have been around since the 60s, but were mainly used in the 80s and 90s. After that they were replaced by the mobile phone.
The pagers that exploded were reportedly recently purchased. A Hezbollah official told the AP that the pagers were a new brand that the group had not used before. After Oct. 7, Hezbollah leaders had ordered the group’s members to stop using cellphones, saying Israel could tamper with them.
Different theories
There is still much speculation about the cause of the explosions. Some experts suggest that the batteries were overheated by a hack, causing them to explode. Other experts call this unlikely and argue that the pagers must have been tampered with during production or transport. This would mean that the perpetrator infiltrated Hezbollah’s supply lines and that the devices were already equipped with explosives before delivery.
A former British Army munitions expert says against the BBC that a small amount of explosives may have been hidden in a fake part in the pagers. The pagers would then have been detonated with a signal.
Sky News Arabia writes, based on anonymous Hezbollah officials, that a small amount of the highly explosive substance PETN was added to the device, and that it was detonated by remotely heating the battery. PETN is also known as pentrite and is one of the most powerful explosives in the world.
‘Only a small amount of explosives needed’
According to Dutch explosives expert Ad van Riel, it does indeed appear that the pagers have already been tampered with in the supply chain. “When I see the images, my first impression is that there was an explosive in the pagers, which detonated in combination with the lithium battery,” says Van Riel. “Only a small amount of explosive is needed to cause a lot of damage in combination with such a battery. With 10 to 20 grams of explosive you can easily kill someone.”
It is possible to send a signal to a large number of pagers at once. According to Van Riel, it is theoretically possible to remotely detonate pagers equipped with explosives.
Middle East Correspondent Daisy Mohr from Beirut:
“The extent of the damage has yet to be determined, but this certainly seems to be a major blow to Hezbollah. Many people were also seriously injured, and especially people who are important to Hezbollah were carrying such a pager. We also know that the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon was injured by an exploded pager.
Moreover, it also exposes a security problem with Hezbollah. It has succeeded in carrying out an almost James Bond-like scenario. Nobody expected something like that.”
After the explosions, Hezbollah pointed the finger at Israel. The terrorist movement holds Israel “fully responsible for the criminal aggression, which also affected civilians.” “The enemy will certainly receive the punishment it deserves,” the statement continued. Israel has not yet responded to the events.
The explosions came hours after Israel’s security cabinet declared the safe return of more than 60,000 displaced Israelis an official war objective. Tens of thousands of Israelis have been evacuated from the area due to the many rockets Hezbollah has fired into northern Israel since October 7. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said yesterday that only “military action” could ensure security in northern Israel and allow residents to return home.
What is Hezbollah and what does the movement want?
Who is Hezbollah and what do they want?
Hezbollah, like Hamas, has close ties to Israel’s arch-enemy Iran. The Israeli army and Hezbollah have been shooting at each other almost daily since the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7 and the subsequent war in the Gaza Strip. Hundreds have been killed in Lebanon and dozens in Israel.
