Walkie-talkies exploded in Hezbollah’s Beirut stronghold on Wednesday, killing 3 and injuring over 100. This followed a deadly attack on Tuesday, when thousands of modified pagers, embedded with explosives by Israeli operatives, detonated across Lebanon.
The devices, part of Hezbollah’s communication network, exploded upon receiving routine messages, killing at least 12 and injuring over 2,800.
Taiwanese company Gold Apollo confirmed Wednesday that its brand was authorized for the pagers, but manufacturing was handled by Hungary-based BAC Consulting KFT. The explosions caught many off guard, causing widespread chaos and panic across daily routines.
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Iraq militant killed in Syria strike blamed on Israel
A militant from Iraq’s Hezbollah Brigades armed group was killed Friday in a strike targeting the pro-Iran faction in Syria, the group said, blaming Israel for the attack.
The group named the slain militant as Abu Haidar al-Khafaji and said he was working in Damascus as a security adviser to the government.
A Brigades member earlier told AFP that Khafaji was killed in a dawn strike on one of the group’s premises that also wounded a second militant.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the death of a Brigades member but was unable to verify the strike itself.
Smoke seen rising over Beirut after residents report sound of large blast
Lebanon security official says Israel conducts air strike on Hezbollah south Beirut stronghold.
Hezbollah pounds Israeli town after IDF ‘hits’ 100 Lebanese rocket launchers
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Booby-trapped devices smuggled in before deadly explosions: Lebanon UN mission
An initial investigation by Lebanese authorities has revealed that hand-held devices that exploded earlier this week were booby-trapped before entering the country, Lebanon’s mission to the United Nations reported on Thursday. The devices, which included pagers and walkie-talkies, were rigged to detonate via emails and targeted users linked to Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group.
“Initial investigations showed that the targeted devices were professionally booby-trapped… before arriving in Lebanon, and were detonated by sending emails to the devices,” said a letter from Lebanon’s mission to the UN, seen by AFP.
The letter accused Israel of orchestrating the attacks, which killed 37 people and wounded nearly 3,000 over two days. The blasts triggered widespread panic across the country as the devices exploded in public places such as supermarkets, streets, and even funerals
. The attacks have been described as “unprecedented in their brutality,” further destabilizing Lebanon and hampering diplomatic efforts to halt ongoing fighting between Israel and Gaza, as well as the clashes between Hezbollah militants and Israeli forces on Lebanon’s southern border.
Bulgarian firm not linked to deadly devices sent to Hezbollah: Govt
Bulgarian authorities said on Friday a company based in Sofia had nothing to do with the delivery of exploding communications devices to Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies detonated across Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday, killing at least 37 people, wounding nearly 3,000 and generating panic.
Hezbollah and several international media organisations have blamed Israel for sabotaging the electronic devices. Israel has not made any public comment.
“Following verifications, it has been indisputably established that no communication equipment corresponding to those that exploded on September 17 was imported, exported or manufactured in Bulgaria,” the National Security Agency (SANS) said.
The SANS said on Thursday it had launched an investigation after Hungarian website Telex said Norta Global — a company registered in Sofia by a Norwegian, had imported the devices and then delivered them to Hezbollah.
Israeli forces deepen raid in Rafah, kill 14 people across Gaza
Israeli forces killed at least 14 Palestinians in tank and air strikes on north and central areas of the Gaza Strip on Friday, medics said, as tanks advanced further into northwest Rafah near the border with Egypt.
The unrelenting fighting between the Israelis and Hamas militants in the enclave carried on even as a parallel conflict in the Lebanon-Israel border area involving Hamas’ allies Hezbollah intensified.
Meanwhile some Palestinians displaced by the Israeli assault on Gaza said they feared their temporary beachside camp would be inundated by high waves.
Palestinian health officials said shelling by Israeli tanks killed eight people and wounded several others in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central area of Gaza, and six others were killed in an airstrike on a house in Gaza City.
In the northern town of Beit Hanoun, an Israeli strike on a car killed and wounded several Palestinians, medics said.
It was not clear how many of the casualties were combatants and how many were civilians.
UN peacekeepers in Lebanon urge immediate de-escalation
The UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon urged de-escalation on Friday after a big increase in hostilities at the Lebanese-Israeli border, where Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah have been trading fire for almost a year.
The UNIFIL force had witnessed “a heavy intensification of the hostilities across the Blue Line” and throughout its area of operations, spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told Reuters.
“We are concerned at the increased escalation across the Blue Line and urge all actors to immediately de-escalate,” he said.
The Blue Line refers to the frontier between Lebanon and Israel.
Late on Thursday, Israeli warplanes carried out their most intense strikes on southern Lebanon of the conflict.
It followed attacks this week which blew up thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah, killing at least 37 people and wounding thousands more.
Board approves more non-lethal weapons for UCLA police after Israel-Hamas war protests
The University of California board of regents approved Thursday additional non-lethal weapons requested by UCLA police, which handled some of the nation’s largest student protests against the Israel-Hamas war.
Clashes between protesters and counterprotesters earlier this year on the campus led to more than a dozen injuries, and more than 200 people were arrested at a demonstration the next day.
The equipment UCLA police requested and the board approved included pepper balls and sponge rounds, projectile launchers and new drones. The board also signed off on equipment purchase requests for the nine other police departments on UC campuses.
Student protesters at the regents meeting were cleared from the room after yelling broke out when the agenda item was presented.
Faculty and students have criticized UCLA police for their use of non-lethal weapons in campus demonstrations, during which some protesters suffered injuries.
During public comment, UCLA student association representative Tommy Contreras said the equipment was used against peaceful protesters and demonstrators.
Taiwan questions two in probe into Hezbollah pagers
Two people from Taiwanese companies were questioned as part of a probe into pagers that exploded while being used by Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon, investigators said Friday, as top officials insisted the devices were not from the island.
Questions and speculation have swirled over where the devices came from and how they were supplied to the militant group after hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies detonated across Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday, killing at least 37 people and wounding nearly 3,000.
The New York Times reported this week that Israel had inserted explosive material into a shipment of pagers from Taiwan’s Gold Apollo, citing American and other anonymous officials.
But Gold Apollo head Hsu Ching-kuang denied producing the devices, pointing the finger instead at Hungary-based partner BAC Consulting KFT, which Gold Apollo had allowed to use its trademark.
cLocal media reported that the second person questioned was Wu Yu-jen, a representative connected to BAC Consulting KFT, who had set up a company based in Taipei called “Apollo Systems”.
“Our country takes the case very seriously,” said the prosecutors’ office in Taipei’s Shilin district in a statement Friday.
“We instructed the Investigation Bureau’s national security station to further interview two people from Taiwanese companies as witnesses yesterday.”
The two witnesses were allowed to leave after multiple rounds of questioning.
Israel lifts restrictions on communities in northern Israel, Golan heights
Israel lifted orders restricting movement and large gatherings issued on Thursday night for a number of communities in northern Israel and the Golan Heights, its military said on Friday.
The restrictions were ordered following the start of an intense wave of Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Thursday afternoon which added to growing fears of a serious escalation in months of conflict along the border.
Board approves more non-lethal weapons for UCLA police after Israel-Hamas war protests
The University of California board of regents approved Thursday additional non-lethal weapons requested by UCLA police, which handled some of the nation’s largest student protests against the Israel-Hamas war.
Clashes between protestors and counter-protestors earlier this year on the campus led to more than a dozen injuries, and more than 200 people were arrested at a demonstration the next day.
The equipment UCLA police requested and the board approved included pepper balls and sponge rounds, projectile launchers and new drones. The board also signed off on equipment purchase requests for the nine other police departments on UC campuses.
Student protesters at the regents meeting were cleared from the room after yelling broke out when the agenda item was presented.
Faculty and students have criticized UCLA police for their use of non-lethal weapons in campus demonstrations, during which some protesters suffered injuries.
During public comment, UCLA student association representative Tommy Contreras said the equipment was used against peaceful protestors and demonstrators.
Israel linked to manufacturing pagers that exploded in Lebanon, killing 37: Report
Israel has been linked to the manufacturing of pager devices that exploded across Lebanon, killing 37 people and injuring nearly 3,000. The devices, used by Hezbollah operatives, were reportedly tampered with in a covert operation aimed at disrupting the group’s communications.
Diplomatic resolution to Israel-Hezbollah tensions ‘achievable’: Biden
US President Joe Biden on Thursday expressed his optimism about achieving a diplomatic resolution to the escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. Following a series of bombings targeting Hezbollah communications equipment, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre emphasized Biden’s belief that diplomacy remains the best path forward. “He believes it’s achievable,” she said during a briefing, reinforcing the administration’s commitment to fostering dialogue in the region.
Qatar Airways bans pagers, walkie-talkies on Lebanon flights amid security threats
Qatar Airways has announced a ban on the transport of pagers and walkie-talkies by passengers departing from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY). This restriction, applicable to checked luggage, carry-on items, and cargo, will remain in effect until further notice.
The airline’s decision follows a directive from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of Lebanon, as detailed in a recent post on X.The statement emphasized that the prohibition is immediate and comprehensive.
Hezbollah leader vows retaliation against Israel for attacks on devices as both sides trade strikes
The leader of Hezbollah vowed Thursday to keep up daily strikes on Israel despite this week’s deadly sabotage of its members’ communication devices, and said Israelis displaced from homes near the Lebanon border because of the fighting would not be able to return until the war in Gaza ends.
Hezbollah and Israel launched fresh attacks across the border as Hassan Nasrallah spoke for the first time since the mass bombing of devices in Lebanon and Syria that he described as a “severe blow” — and for which he promised to retaliate.
The two days of attacks targeting thousands of Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies have been widely blamed on Israel, heightening fears that 11 months of near-daily exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel will escalate into all-out war. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the attacks.
During Nasrallah’s speech, Hezbollah struck at least four times in northern Israel, and two Israeli soldiers were killed in a strike earlier in the day. Israeli warplanes flew low over Beirut while Nasrallah spoke and broke the sound barrier, scattering birds and prompting people in houses and offices to quickly open windows to prevent them from shattering.
Israel destroys 1,000 Hezbollah rocket launcher barrels, military says
Israeli fighter jets pounded Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon late on Thursday, striking hundreds of rocket launcher barrels that were set to be used to immediately fire toward Israeli territory, the military said.
It said that since the afternoon, fighter jets struck some 100 rocket launchers consisting of about 1,000 barrels.
“The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) will continue to operate to degrade the Hezbollah terrorist organization’s infrastructure and capabilities in order to defend the State of Israel,” the IDF said.
The intense barrage followed attacks earlier in the week attributed by Lebanon and Hezbollah to Israel that blew up Hezbollah radios and pagers, killing 37 people and wounding about 3,000 in Lebanon.
In Thursday’s late operation, Israel launched dozens of bombs across southern Lebanon, three Lebanese security sources said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israel will keep up military action against Hezbollah.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah after a week of escalation. The U.S. has also expressed fears of further escalation.
Israel warned the US that an operation in Lebanon was coming but gave no details, officials say
Israel warned US defense secretary Lloyd Austin in a call Tuesday that a military operation was going to take place in Lebanon but gave no details, US officials said Thursday. The same day of the call, in an attack widely blamed on Israel, thousands of pagers belonging to Hezbollah militants exploded.
The call was one of four between Austin and Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant this week as attacks have spiked between Israel and Hezbollah, fueling worries that they could escalate into a wider regional war.
The two spoke again later Tuesday, and the US has acknowledged being briefed following the attack. There was another call Wednesday, and they also spoke Sunday, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private talks.
The officials said the US did not get advance warning of the second wave of attacks, with walkie-talkie radios targeted Wednesday. At least 37 people were killed, including two children, and some 3,000 wounded in the two days of explosions.
The officials stressed that the US played no role in the attacks and said they were surprised by the specifics of the operations.
The attacks on electronic devices this week appeared to be the culmination of a monthslong operation by Israel to target as many Hezbollah members as possible all at once — but civilians were also hit.
Hezbollah leader calls Israeli attacks ‘unprecedented’ after deadly explosions
Lebanon’s Hezbollah chief said Thursday that Israel had dealt an “unprecedented” blow to his group, crossing all red lines with device explosions that killed 37 people and wounded nearly 3,000 over two days.
Hezbollah leader vows ‘retribution will come’ after 2 days of attacks
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed Thursday that Israel would face “retribution” for the recent coordinated explosions of hand-held devices, which killed at least 37 people in Lebanon. Following his remarks, the Israeli military launched airstrikes in southern Lebanon.
Nasrallah, in his first public statement since the attacks, acknowledged the severe impact on his group and accused Israel of violating “all conventions and laws.” He did not specify how or when Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran, might retaliate.
IDF targets 30 Hezbollah launchers and terrorist sites in southern Lebanon
Israel conducts dozens of strikes in South Lebanon in major intensification of bombing, three security sources say
Israel conducted dozens of airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Thursday, marking some of the most intense bombing since the war began in October, according to three Lebanese security sources.
Israel-Hezbollah War: Qatar airways enforces Lebanon’s ban on pagers, walkie-talkies
Israel army says some 30 Hezbollah rocket launchers hit in Thursday strikes
Israel’s army said it hit some 30 Hezbollah rocket launchers along with other “infrastructure” in air strikes carried out in Lebanon on Thursday.
“With the direction of IDF (military) intelligence, the IAF (air force) struck approximately 30 Hezbollah launchers and terrorist infrastructure sites, containing approximately 150 launcher barrels that were ready to fire projectiles toward Israeli territory,” the military said in a statement.
Satellite sniper, poison, pager and walkie-talkie blasts: How Mossad can kill Israel’s enemies
In a span of two days, a macabre wave of explosions erupted across Lebanon. The dead and wounded were everywhere: pagers and two-way radios used by Hezbollah militants had detonated in their hands, homes, and offices—even during funerals. The blasts marked the latest chapter in Israel’s shadow war against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia, responsible for lobbing rockets into northern Israel for nearly a year.At least 30 people were killed, over thousands wounded in these explosions, and the scale of destruction hinted at meticulous preparation by Israeli intelligence.
Israel-Hezbollah War Live: US says no change to its military posture in Middle East amid attacks in Lebanon
The Pentagon stated there are no changes to US military posture in the Middle East, despite recent deadly Israeli attacks in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah communications. Lebanon and Hezbollah have accused Israel of attacks that destroyed the group’s radios and pagers, killing 37 and injuring around 3,000, straining Lebanese hospitals. Israel has not commented, though security sources suggest Mossad may be responsible.
Israel-Hezbollah War Live: Hezbollah leader vows retaliation against Israel for attacks on devices as both sides trade strikes
The leader of Hezbollah vowed Thursday to keep up daily strikes on Israel despite this week’s deadly sabotage of its members’ communication devices, and said Israelis displaced from homes near the Lebanon border because of the fighting would not be able to return until the war in Gaza ends.
Hezbollah and Israel launched fresh attacks across the border as Hassan Nasrallah spoke for the first time since the mass bombing of devices in Lebanon and Syria that he described as a “severe blow” — and for which he promised to retaliate.
Israel-Hezbollah War Live: US warns all parties against escalation in the Middle East
The United States on Thursday warned all parties in the Middle East against escalation as tensions between Iran-backed Lebanese movement Hezbollah and Israel remained high, saying Washington’s priority is to find a diplomatic solution.
“We will continue to stand by Israel’s right to defend itself, but we don’t want to see any party escalate this conflict, period,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a regular briefing.