Vikrant Shekhawat : Sep 18, 2024, 09:27 AM
Lebanon News: A deadly incident shook the entire country on Tuesday afternoon in Lebanon's capital Beirut. There were several serial blasts one after another in the pager devices of Hezbollah members, killing 11 people. The dead include 8 Hezbollah members and a girl child. More than 4,000 people have been injured in this horrific attack, out of which 400 are said to be in critical condition. The injured also include Iran's ambassador to Lebanon.Allegation of attack and status of investigationIsrael is suspected to be behind this attack. Hezbollah has also blamed 'enemy' Israel for this attack. However, Israel has not yet made any official statement on this matter. According to media reports, the pagers have been hacked and exploded. Eyewitnesses said that smoke was coming out of the pockets of people's pants before the explosion, which makes it appear that the pagers were already activated.Pager: A Brief Technical BackgroundA pager is a wireless communication device used to send and receive messages. It usually comes with a small screen and limited keypad. Messages or alerts can be received quickly with the help of a pager, but due to its limited capabilities it is mostly used only for sending and receiving messages.Impact on air servicesAfter this incident, due to security concerns, Germany's Lufthansa Airlines and France's Air France have canceled flights to Israel, Iran and Lebanon till Thursday. Lufthansa has taken this decision citing security reasons, while Air France has said that the decision to start flights will be taken after assessing the situation.Statement of pager manufacturerHsu Ching-kuang, CEO of Taiwanese company Gold Apollo, which manufactures pagers, has said that the pagers in which the explosions took place are not manufactured by them. Earlier, many media reports had claimed that Hezbollah had ordered pagers from Gold Apollo.America's stanceThe US has denied any involvement in the attack. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said, "We had no prior information about this attack and we are trying to get information about those responsible."White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre also said that the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah needs to be resolved diplomatically.Hezbollah's pager policyAccording to reports, Hezbollah recently asked its members to use pagers, while the use of mobile phones was banned. This advice was given to avoid possible Israeli attacks during the Gaza war. In July, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah also advised people to stop using mobile devices and CCTVs, as he feared that Israeli agencies could hack them.Hezbollah: An IntroductionHezbollah, meaning "Party of God", is a Shia Islamic political, military and social organization known for its powerful position in Lebanon. It is recognized as a terrorist organization by the US and many other countries. It was established in Lebanon in the early 1980s with the help of Iran. Hezbollah and Hamas, a Sunni Palestinian organization, remain united on the issue of Israel and both have opposed agreements between the UAE and Bahrain with Israel.This development has once again given rise to tension and uncertainty in Lebanon and the overall region. The future situation will depend on how this crisis is resolved and what impact it has on regional politics.