Exploding pagers in Lebanon

[rdrr]

Not to make light of this, but I honestly was surprised that pagers are still in use. Currently it's being reported thousands of pagers have exploded across Lebanon, and Israel is the primary suspect.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/dozens-hezbollah-members-wounded-lebanon-when-pagers-exploded-sources-witnesses-2024-09-17/

 

[Citysnaps]

but I didn't think pagers were used at all anymore.

I'm *guessing* they're useful for one-way communications in some situations, for giving orders to a Hezbollah member to do something, as an example. Also... being *receive only*, they can't be geolocated (like a cell phone or walkie-talkie).

 

[Roller]

Not to make light of this, but I honestly was surprised that pagers are still in use. Currently it's being reported thousands of pagers have exploded across Lebanon, and Israel is the primary suspect.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/dozens-hezbollah-members-wounded-lebanon-when-pagers-exploded-sources-witnesses-2024-09-17/

You'd be surprised how many pagers are still in use by hospitals.

 

[rdrr]

Not to sound a little paranoid (I guess I am), but how long and complicated could this operation have been? Also how much easier would it be for a similar long game by China be with laptops, cellphones, etc.

 

[Citysnaps]

Not to sound a little paranoid (I guess I am), but how long and complicated could this operation have been? Also how much easier would it be for a similar long game by China be with laptops, cellphones, etc.

I'm *guessing* the Hezbollah "exploding pagers" was somehow orchestrated by Israeli intelligence services.

Somehow modifying the pager, or working with the pager manufacturer. Could be an explosive charge in the pager (or perhaps activating a robust dead short across the lithium battery) that was triggered remotely by sending it a special message.

I'm just thinking out loud.

 

[cbum]

Is there any realistic alternative to assuming Mossad infiltrated the supply chain somehow?

I don't see how to make an intact (=untouched) pager (or cellphone) explode remotely...

 

[Roller]

Is there any realistic alternative to assuming Mossad infiltrated the supply chain somehow?

I don't see how to make an intact (=untouched) pager (or cellphone) explode remotely...

They would have to have been tampered with. If unaltered pagers could explode, a lot of healthcare workers (and some drug dealers) would have been killed over the years. I don't think they're like phasers on overload.

 

[Citysnaps]

A good read:

Israel Planted Explosives in Pagers Sold to Hezbollah, Officials Say

Small amounts of explosive were implanted in beepers that Hezbollah had ordered from a Taiwanese company, according to American and other officials briefed on the operation.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Cmaier]

Should have just given the terrorists Samsung android phones

 

[GermanSuplex]

This is not good. This is terrorism, many children, elderly and innocent people were around these explosions, the videos are awful.

 

[Alli]

This is not good. This is terrorism, many children, elderly and innocent people were around these explosions, the videos are awful.

Many children, elderly, and innocent people were around these terrorists.

 

[KingOfPain]

At leat 8 dead, including a little girl...

8 dead, 2,700 injured after simultaneous pager explosions in Lebanon

Lithium-ion batteries or supply chain attack may be to blame.

arstechnica.com

 

[rdrr]

At leat 8 dead, including a little girl...

8 dead, 2,700 injured after simultaneous pager explosions in Lebanon

Lithium-ion batteries or supply chain attack may be to blame.

arstechnica.com

I am hearing different reports of 11 Hezbollah dead and 9 civilians. Confusing numbers, but this will definitely escalate the war over there.

 

[Citysnaps]

I am hearing different reports of 11 Hezbollah dead and 9 civilians. Confusing numbers, but this will definitely escalate the war over there.

With injured numbers ranging between 2,700 and 3,000 people, and 11-12 Hezbollah dead, I'm wondering how many Hezbollah were targeted with pagers.

 

[Huntn]

With injured numbers ranging between 2,700 and 3,000 people, and 11-12 Hezbollah dead, I'm wondering how many Hezbollah were targeted with pagers.

On one hand pagers blowing up is brilliant, but on the other hand, Israel does not give a hoot about collateral damage and seems driven to get itself involved in a full fledged war. And guess who’s going to be dragged into it??

 

[Cmaier]

sounds like more explosions today - walkie-talkie-like devices this time. Israel wiping out hezbollah’s ability to communicate, one device at a time, looks like.

 

[Citysnaps]

sounds like more explosions today - walkie-talkie-like devices this time. Israel wiping out hezbollah’s ability to communicate, one device at a time, looks like.

The nice thing about walking-talkies is that they can be easily geolocated. From great distances.

Supposedly that was the reason for them switching to pagers. Apparently walkie-talkies are still in use.

I'm wondering if the walkie-talkies had explosive charges inside, or if their owners were killed "manually" once their precise location was known.

 

[rdrr]

You got to wonder how many other items supply chain this OP got into. Definitely are in the heads of Hezbollah now.

 

[cbum]

Didn't Yoav Gallant just make a statement that a war on Hezbollah was increasingly unavoidable just 2-3 days ago?

What I am asking myself right now is does this (unprecedented) communication device attack create a sufficient command & control disruption that Israel may decide its now or never to remove the Sword of Damocles hanging over their country in form of > 100K missiles (numbers from PBS News Hour yesterday), and invade southern Lebanon?

Is the Middle East blowing up yet again?

P.S. Wrong minister, it was Gallant.

 

[Cmaier]

Didn't Benny Ganz just make a statement that a war on Hezbollah was increasingly unavoidable just 2-3 days ago?

What I am asking myself right now is does this (unprecedented) communication device attack create a sufficient command & control disruption that Israel may decide its now or never to remove the Sword of Damocles hanging over their country in form of > 100K missiles (numbers from PBS News Hour yesterday), and invade southern Lebanon?

Is the Middle East blowing up yet again?

FWIW, Israel has put bombs in phones before. Though never 3000 at once.