On Tuesday and Wednesday, hundreds of pagers (the predecessor to cell phones) and walkie-talkies exploded in Lebanon. Lebanese authorities believe these were attacks carried out by Israeli intelligence. It sounds a bit like a spy movie, doesn’t it? Here’s what we know about this story.
In total, there were two waves of explosions. On Tuesday, hundreds of pagers (often carried in pants pockets) exploded at the same time. Then, on Wednesday, walkie-talkies exploded. Unfortunately, nearly 3,000 people were injured. And at least 37 others died.
What is a pager?
You may never have seen one. It’s a device, sometimes called a “pager,” that can receive short messages. This information is sent by radio signal, making it harder to trace than cellphones. That’s why criminal groups like to use them. But other people use them, like emergency services.
Who was targeted?
The people who had the pagers are members of Hezbollah, a Lebanese Islamist armed group that is considered a terrorist organization by several countries, including Canada.
Who is responsible?
It could be the Mossadthe Israeli intelligence service. Israel has been in the news a lot in the last year because of its war with Hamas in Palestine. Hezbollah is an ally of Hamas, which is why Mossad doesn’t like it at all. The Lebanese group accuses Mossad of booby-trapping and blowing up its members’ pagers.
How is this possible?
At the time of writing, it is unclear exactly how the explosions occurred. According to US media reports, the detonations were carried out remotely. The pagers were most likely modified and rigged with explosives before being delivered to Hezbollah operatives five months ago.
What will happen?
It is not known. But many countries are calling on Israel and Lebanon to remain calm, to avoid a response and prevent the situation from worsening in the region.
But if your parents have a pager and you have a walkie-talkie, you don’t have to worry! Only specific devices have been modified.
Sources: Associated Press and Wall Street Journal
By Camille Lopez
Want to know more?
Do you like to understand current events?
Come take a look at lesasdelinfo.com. We also have a whole section for teachers!
An initiative of the Information Coops supported by the Government of Canada.
