Thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members exploded in homes and cars across multiple locations on September 17 and 18, resulting in 37 deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries.
The New York Times reports that Israel manufactured the pagers used in these explosions. According to three intelligence officers, BAC Consulting, a Hungarian firm fronting for Israeli intelligence, allegedly rigged Hezbollah’s pagers with PETN explosives while supplying standard devices to other clients.
In his speech on Thursday afternoon, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah declared, “The reckoning will come, and it will be severe. I will not speak about a date or time. You will know it when it happens.”
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister called on Thursday for necessary retaliation against Israel, stating, “We cannot urge restraint on Hezbollah following these Israeli terror attacks.”
This leaves many wondering how Hezbollah will respond without dragging Lebanon into a full-scale war with Israel.
Two days of bloodshed in Lebanese hospitals
In a press conference earlier today, the Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad confirmed that the final toll from the September 17 attack stands at 12 martyrs and 2,323 wounded. Of those, 1,343 remain in hospitals, including 226 in the intensive care unit.
He also reported that 955 surgeries have been performed, with some injured individuals still awaiting further operations. The initial figures were slightly inaccurate, as some patients had been counted twice when transferred between hospitals.
According to the Health Ministry, the latest count from Wednesday’s attacks stands at 25 martyrs, marking the heaviest single-day toll for both Hezbollah and Lebanon since the fighting began on October 8, 2023.
A total of 608 people were wounded in Wednesday’s attack, including 61 in the intensive care unit. So far, 41 surgeries have been performed.
In his Thursday afternoon speech, Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah claimed that these devices are used by various sectors of Lebanese society, and even globally, not just by Hezbollah personnel.
In the first wave of explosions, Israel targeted AR-924 pagers, while the second wave focused on ICOM V82 walkie-talkies.
Israel supplied and sabotaged Hezbollah pagers
On Thursday, The New York Times reported that Israel manufactured the pagers used in last Tuesday’s Hezbollah explosions. According to the newspaper, BAC Consulting, a Hungarian company, is a front for Israeli intelligence, as revealed by three intelligence officers familiar with the operation.
The report also states that at least two additional shell companies were created to conceal the identities of the true manufacturers: Israeli intelligence officers.
BAC, founded in 2022, began shipping pagers to Lebanon in small quantities around the same time. This followed Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Nasrallah’s call for members to switch from cell phones to pagers due to security concerns.
While BAC supplied standard devices to regular clients, it reportedly added PETN explosives to the batteries of pagers intended for Hezbollah. PETN is a powerful explosive with a high effectiveness factor. When mixed with a plasticizer, it forms a plastic explosive.
The New York Times also noted that Israel’s strategy involved encouraging Hezbollah to use pagers instead of cell phones, as part of a broader plan to exploit these devices.
Nasrallah: “This attack did not break us”
In his Thursday afternoon speech, Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah said that Israel has crossed all red lines and violated every law with its attacks on Hezbollah electronic devices on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“This is a massive terrorist attack, genocide, a massacre,” he said.
Nasrallah stated that Israel planned the attack with the assumption that there were 4,000 pagers across Lebanon, intending to “murder 4,000 people in a single minute.” The actual number of casualties was lower due to the swift response of people, ambulances, and medical workers, he claimed.
”I can tell you with utmost certainty that this attack did not break us and will not break us. On the contrary, it will only increase our resolve and determination to continue on in this battle.”
Nasrallah also said that Hezbollah will ensure that “illegal Israeli settlers” will not be able to return to Northern Israel, despite Benjamin Netanyahu’s assurances that Israel will secure their return.
If Israeli troops enter South Lebanon, Hezbollah would “welcome” them, as it would make it easier to target the troops, Nasrallah said. He added, “You may see it as a threat, but to us, it’s a historic opportunity.”
“The security zone you [Israel] dream of in the South will turn into a hell for your troops. You will face those you attacked on Tuesday and Wednesday, who are now even more determined to fight,” Nasrallah continued.
He reiterated that Hezbollah will not cease its actions until the war on Gaza ends.
International reactions
On Wednesday, the White House cautioned against further escalation in the Middle East following the explosions in Lebanon. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby emphasized that additional military actions are not the solution.
“We believe the best way to avoid escalation and prevent another front from opening in Lebanon is through diplomacy,” Kirby told reporters.
Turkey has accused Israel of escalating its conflict with Gaza to Lebanon, describing the recent deadly explosions in Hezbollah strongholds as “alarming.” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told TRT World:
“We see Israel mounting its attacks towards Lebanon step by step. We have come to a point where these operations carried out by Israel have become increasingly provocative, and in return, Iran, Hezbollah and elements close to them have no choice but to respond.”
Fidan added, “Does Israel want permanent peace or does it want to eliminate everything it sees as a threat by using classical war methods? Currently, the fanatic government in Israel is pursuing a strategy to eliminate all threats.”