UPDATE: About 1000 Hezbollah members injured in a suspected Israeli breach
Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, more than 1000 Hezbollah
members were injured after communication devices (pagers) they were
carrying exploded in Beirut's southern suburbs and southern Lebanon.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry has called on all
hospitals to remain on high alert to accommodate emergency patients and advised
individuals to distance themselves from pagers. Additionally, the ministry
urged healthcare workers to avoid using wireless devices and called for blood
donations in response to the incident.
A Hezbollah official, who spoke on condition of
anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media told The
Associated Press, the explosions were the result of “a security operation that
targeted the devices.”
“The enemy (Israel) stands behind this security
incident,” the official said, adding that the new “pagers that Hezbollah
members were carrying had lithium batteries that apparently exploded.”
Israel did not officially comment on the
incident.
Lithium batteries, when overheated, can emit
smoke, melt, or even catch fire. Fires caused by these batteries can reach temperatures
of up to 590°C (1,100°F).
Experts claim that Israel can
remotely detonate devices, either by causing their batteries to explode or by
rigging the batteries themselves with small amounts of explosives, ranging from
10 to 20 grams. These devices are typically worn on the waist or kept in a
pocket.
Hezbollah’s
leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, had previously warned his fighters against
using smartphones. A few months ago, Nasrallah issued orders for them to stop
using the devices, highlighting Israel’s advanced technology that allows it to
infiltrate and compromise smartphone communications.
