Israel’s Mossad spy agency planted explosive material in Hezbollah pagers that detonated across Lebanon, killing at least nine people and injuring thousands. The coordinated blasts from the handheld devices occurred as people shopped, sat in cafes, and drove, leaving scenes of bloodshed. Lebanon’s government and Hezbollah blamed Israel for the operation, which wounded around 3,000 people. The pagers are used by Hezbollah fighters because they are hard to track. Israel has not publicly commented on the attack, but Israeli and U.S. sources confirmed its involvement. The explosive material was hidden in pagers imported into Lebanon from a Taiwanese firm, Gold Apollo, which denied involvement and stated that a Hungarian company, BAC Consulting KFT, produced and sold the pagers. Israel’s plot was reportedly months in the making, with the devices being modified at the production level. The pagers detonated when a coded message was sent to them, activating the explosives. Since Hamas’ attacks on Israel, there have been daily strikes between Israel and Hezbollah, with targeted assassinations of Hezbollah commanders. Tens of thousands of Israelis near Lebanon’s border have evacuated, with Israel vowing to make it safe for them to return.
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