Lebanon reels as more devices explode, casualties rise

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Washington Post

Lebanon reels as more devices explode, casualties rise

The source of Wednesday's explosions was not immediately clear but the blasts came a day after thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah blew up across Lebanon.


Ambulances at the entrance of the American University of Beirut Medical Center on Tuesday, after pagers detonated across Lebanon. (Anwar Amro/AFP/Getty Images)

By Susannah George, Mohamad El Chamaa, Kareem Fahim and Annabelle Timsit
Updated September 18, 2024 at 10:59 a.m. EDT Published September 18, 2024 at 7:02 a.m. EDT

BEIRUT -- New explosions linked to electronic devices killed at least one and injured more than 100 across Lebanon on Wednesday, a day after thousands of people were wounded by exploding pagers used by members of the militant group Hezbollah, Lebanon's state news agency reported.

The source of Wednesday's explosions was not immediately clear. The state news agency said some were caused by old pagers kept in people's homes, in southern Lebanon and the Beirut suburbs. At least one of the explosions occurred at a funeral in Beirut's southern suburbs, held for four people who were killed in Tuesday's blasts.

Crowds had begun gathering for the funerals when a blast sent people running. ... "Anyone who has a device, take out the battery now!" Hezbollah security members yelled to mourners. "Turn off your phones, switch it to airplane mode," young men in black T-shirts and khakis yelled.

{snip}

Fahim reported from Istanbul and Timsit from London. Suzan Haidamous in Beirut, Claire Parker in Cairo and Bryan Pietsch in Washington contributed to this report

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/09/18/hezbollah-israel-pager-attack-lebanon-explosions/

[BrianTheEVGuy]

1. So awesome

Israeli intelligence understood that when pagers started detonating, Hizbollah would switch to walkie-talkies… which are now detonating. Some switched from walkie-talkies to laptops… which have also started detonating.

Much of Hizbollah has been killed or severely wounded. Their ability to wage war is badly damaged.

Good on Jerusalem for going preemptive and not waiting for another October 7th. Post 10/7, the new policy is strike first, strike hard, and strike without mercy, and I’m here for it.

[Novara]

2. Even when innocents get killed?

Wow.

[BrianTheEVGuy]

3. Yep

I didn’t see you make this point when Hizbollah killed a dozen kids targeting a school with rockets, or killed hundreds of other Israeli citizens.

If people must die, let it be the friends and family of the terrorists.

People only seem to care about “innocents” after Jewish blood is spilled without concern.

[lostnfound]

5. Oh you guys...such linear thinking

Over and over, expecting different results. Like, lets bomb the hate out of them… the beatings will continue until morale improves…

Mothers know better, mostly. Cut down one, you make them stronger.

Once again Israel impresses me with their technological strengths and their planning, but not so much with the breadth or depth of their dreams. MLK and Gandhi were hopelessly naive, look where it got them. They ain’t no heroes, i guess.

[BrianTheEVGuy]

10. You have the luxury and privilege of security

If thousands of missiles a year rained down on your home town, Gandhi and MLK would not be top-of-mind. Doubly-so if you were descended from (or were) Holocaust survivors.

America lost its mind over 9/11. Imagine if 9/11 happened every week. That’s life in Israel.

[3Hotdogs]

9. Dunno. While Israel's practice of apartheid doesn't warrant the killing of Israeli citizens, does it mean that

indiscriminate killing of Palestinian people is?

[BrianTheEVGuy]

11. "Apartheid" has a meaning

And, of course, it doesn’t mean “refuse to allow terrorists to liquidate 9 million Israeli Jews.”

[MarineCombatEngineer]

4. What war have innocents not died?

At least Israel tried to limit the collateral damage to civilians, unlike Hizbollah.

[Richard D]

6. Brilliant!

Kudos to Mossad Agents Mota Rola and Gal Axy, who effectively shut down Hezbollah's communication network with remarkably few civilian casualties, thus possibly averting an all-out war that would have had countless civilian losses on both sides.

The funny thing I've noticed here is that a lot of people are expressing great outrage about this, yet do not seem to care about the 19,000 terrorist missile attacks against Israel, 3,100 of which came from Lebanon.

Why could this possibly be?

[MarineCombatEngineer]

7. You ask why could this possibly be?

I think we both know the answer to that.

[Richard D]

8. We do indeed . . .

. . . the unspeakable reality that travels through time and space and has done so for thousands of years.