Ras Al-Naqoura, Palestinian-Lebanese Border Jaber Family Album
For nearly a year straight, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have been bombarding southern Lebanon to increase tensions and start a war with Hezbollah, a political party in Lebanon serving as a paramilitary group.
Both Hezbollah and Israel have been sending missiles back and forth along the Lebanese-Historic Palestine border. These missile exchanges resulted in over 600 Lebanese martyrs and 26 Israeli civilians and 20 IOF soldiers, according to The Media Line, since Oct. 8, 2023.
As of recent, tensions have been increasingly high since Israel targeted and killed a Hezbollah leader on July 30. Hezbollah responded to the assassination by carrying out a military operation called “Al Arbaeen” on Aug. 25 in which they fired 340 missiles, and attacked Israeli intelligence unit 8200. Hezbollah cited the operation as a “success.”
After Operation Al Arbaeen, the two sides kept exchanging fire along the border until Sept. 17, when the IOF carried out a spontaneous cyber-attack in which they exploded the pagers of the Lebanese people in hospitals and public spaces.
This attack was deliberately planned and carried out, as for months now Hezbollah fighters have been ordered by their leader, Hassan Nassrallah, to carry pagers as their primary communication devices as smartphones can be easily compromised by Israeli intelligence, known as the Mossad.
As a result of this terrorist attack, over 4,000 people have been injured, over 200 in critical condition, and 11 have been martyred, including two children, ages eight and 11.
According to The Media Line, “With chest wounds, dismembered limbs, or facial injuries, more than 4,000 people are being treated in overwhelmed Lebanese hospitals.”
These detonated pagers were purchased by Hezbollah nearly five months ago from a Japanese communications company called ICOM, which could not verify if they shipped the order or not, as the particular product ordered had been discontinued for 10 years as well as the fact that counterfeit models have infiltrated the market, according to Reuters.
According to another Reuters source, “up to three grams of explosives were hidden in the new pagers and had gone “undetected” by Hezbollah for months.”
Israeli Mossad agents have been said to have tampered with Hezbollah’s communication devices adding explosives on them before being sent to the members of Hezbollah and the Lebanese people.
A source told Reuters, “The Mossad injected a board inside of the device that has explosive material that receives a code. It’s very hard to detect it through any means. Even with any device or scanner.”
Unfortunately, this was not the only cyber attack to happen, as the next day on Sept. 18, Israel attacked again and exploded even more communication devices, including walkie-talkies, killing and injuring more civilians.
In the second wave of the cyber terrorist attack, 25 people rose to martyrdom and over 600 were injured, as stated in an article by the Associated Press.
Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant applauded the terrorist work of the Mossad and IOF and said that they “are at the start of a new phase in the war.”
For a “country” that likes to play the part of the poor victim in times of conflict, why are they actively trying to start a war with neighboring countries? Over 60,000 Israelis have evacuated their homes in northern Occupied Palestine due to exchange of fire between the IOF and Hezbollah for nearly a year and are expected to return soon. How will this happen if the IOF is escalating matters on the northern front?
It sounds to me like Israel does not care about its citizens and is willing to sacrifice them for personal gain.
After months of threatening to turn Lebanon into Gaza, the IOF airstriked a residential neighborhood in the capital city of Beirut killing 14 and injuring many others during rush hour.
Only Israel can carry out three terrorist attacks within the span of 72 hours without condemnation from the West, all the while genociding the Gaza strip, and still playing victim.
The United States is allowing Israel to act with impunity by continuously supplying them with arms and it must stop. Human lives are not just numbers or collateral damage when Israel hits.
The Lebanese people, just like the Palestinians, deserve to live in freedom and dignity without fear of being bombed or killed simply because of their identity.
The U.S. needs to stop arming Israel immediately and push for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
As a Palestinian, I am standing in solidarity with my brothers and sisters in Lebanon and am praying for their safety.
Pray for Lebanon. Free Palestine.