nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com

Israel carried out its operation against Hezbollah on Tuesday by hiding explosive material within a new batch of Taiwanese-made pagers imported into Lebanon, according to American and other officials briefed on the operation.

The pagers, which Hezbollah had ordered from Gold Apollo in Taiwan, had been tampered with before they reached Lebanon, according to some of the officials. Most were the company’s AP924 model, though three other Gold Apollo models were also included in the shipment.

The explosive material, as little as one to two ounces, was implanted next to the battery in each pager, two of the officials said. A switch was also embedded that could be triggered remotely to detonate the explosives.

MBFC
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  • givesomefucks@lemmy.worldEnglish
    20325·
    3 months ago

    So…

    They’re just casually admitting to another war crime?

    Against someone I don’t even think they’re officially at war against?

    • WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1169·
      3 months ago

      When there are zero consequences for war crimes, the “rules based” law and order we virtue signal is completely meaningless.

    • jonne@infosec.pubEnglish
      7312·
      3 months ago

      They’re not at war with Hezbollah, so it’s just terrorism really.

    • Icalasari@fedia.io
      242·
      3 months ago

      I swear it’s got to be to drag the middle east into a massive war to maybe trigger some sort of clause that forces the US to go to war for Israel or end up with massive penalties. It’s the only thing that makes sense that isn’t just, “For the Evilulz”

      And I swear to fuck if the US was actually stupid enough to enter a deal that forces them to go to war and send troops if the entire Middle East turns on Israel…

      • T00l_shed@lemmy.worldEnglish
        7·
        3 months ago

        I mean, bibi seems to have the US by the short and curlies. I have no doubt that if things got spicy enough the US would gladly send boots on the ground to die for Israel’s actions. I could even imagine bibi saying “oh we’re so hurt, you guys do this, and we will stay back to defend our territory” while some poor schmuck from winsconsin gets exploded by an ied.

    • abff08f4813c@j4vcdedmiokf56h3ho4t62mlku.srv.us
      1·
      3 months ago

      They’re just casually admitting to another war crime?"

      From the article,

      according to American and other officials briefed on the operation.

      So in other words, they’re denying it officially. Just as they deny possessing nuclear arms.

      Against someone I don’t even think they’re officially at war against?

      Do they recognize Hezbollah as a country? Can’t officially be at war with someone you don’t recognize - those are just termed “police actions.” An oxymoron if I’ve ever heard one.

    • azertyfun@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      411·
      3 months ago

      I’m as critical of Israel as any reasonable person but that’s like the one thing they did recently that was actually a (at least somewhat) targeted attack against their enemies.

      Calling that a war crime unnecessarily and dangerously dilutes the term. Leveling cities and starving the fleeing population is a war crime and a crime against humanity. Intentionally shooting civilians, children, aid workers, and journalists is a war crime. How about we focus on those, it’s not like there’s a shortage of israeli war crimes to report on.

      EDIT: Apparently Lebanon reports 2800 injured and 12 dead from these attacks… How many fucking explosive pagers were involved? I doubt a significant percentage of those were Hezbollah, which would make that a war crime. The callous inefficiency of IDF operations will never cease to amaze me.

      • givesomefucks@lemmy.worldEnglish
        111·
        3 months ago

        Why would you think only valid military targets were next to these?

        Why are you still believing the IDFs first reports when the vast majority of the time they’re lying?

        • azertyfun@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          15·
          3 months ago

          Why would you think only valid military targets were next to these?

          That’s… not a war crime is. I don’t want to be the guy who justifies the death of civilians, because each one is a tragedy, but unfortunately in war there is such a thing as greater evils.

          Why are you still believing the IDFs first reports when the vast majority of the time they’re lying?

          Now that’s fair. And of course we can as well point out that their whole war is self-inflicted to start with so there’s not much legitimacy to any of their acts of war, even the less illegal ones.

          • Keeponstalin@lemmy.worldEnglish
            7·
            3 months ago

            This is terrorism and a violation of International humanitarian law. It’s not a war crime because Lebanon and Israel are not at war, yet Israel just attacked civilians in public, including health workers, and even officials in Parliament. Lebanese civilians are people like anyone else, yet this isn’t treated like the mass terrorist attack it is in most Western Media.

            Thousands of pagers simultaneously exploded across Lebanon and parts of Syria on September 17, 2024, resulting in at least 12 deaths, including at least two children and two health workers, and at least 2,800 injuries, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health.

            Photographs and videos filmed by victims and witnesses to the incident and reviewed by Human Rights Watch showed pagers exploding in various locales, such as grocery stores. Other videos that appear to be linked to the incident show adults and children in emergency rooms with severe penetrating traumatic injuries to their heads, torsos. and limbs, and other injuries consistent with the detonation of high explosives.

            Hezbollah, in a statement, said that the pagers belonged “to employees of various Hezbollah units and institutions” and blamed the Israeli government. US and former Israeli officials speaking to the media said that Israel was responsible for the attack. The Israeli military has not commented.

            “Customary international humanitarian law prohibits the use of booby traps – objects that civilians are likely to be attracted to or are associated with normal civilian daily use – precisely to avoid putting civilians at grave risk and produce the devastating scenes that continue to unfold across Lebanon today. The use of an explosive device whose exact location could not be reliably known would be unlawfully indiscriminate, using a means of attack that could not be directed at a specific military target and as a result would strike military targets and civilians without distinction. A prompt and impartial investigation into the attacks should be urgently conducted.”

            • Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa Director at Human Rights Watch
            • givesomefucks@lemmy.worldEnglish
              3·
              3 months ago

              It’s not a war crime because Lebanon and Israel are not at war,

              Their defense minister literally just said it was a war…

              Speaking to Israeli troops on Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, “We are at the start of a new phase in the war — it requires courage, determination and perseverance.” He made no mention of the exploding devices but praised the work of Israel’s army and security agencies, saying “the results are very impressive.”

              https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-exploding-pagers-hezbollah-syria-ce6af3c2e6de0a0dddfae48634278288

              They’re desperately trying to start wars to drag the US in while Biden is still in office.

              If an all out war happens, there is 100% chance Biden dives into it.

              Kamala there’s a slight chance she does the right thing, and trump’s price to go against Russia’s allies will be ridiculously high.

              So they want Biden to be the one to react.