UPDATE ON THE SITUATION – U.S. officials told the New York Times that Israel had managed to hide small explosives in pagers purchased by Hezbollah in Taiwan. The simultaneous explosion across the country left at least 9 dead and 2,800 injured.
The simultaneous explosion Tuesday, September 17 across Lebanon of pagers used by Hezbollah left at least nine dead and nearly 2,800 injured. The Lebanese Shiite movement allied with Iran accuses Israel of being responsible.
Officials from the United States and other countries told the New York Times that Israel had managed to hide small explosives in beepers purchased by Hezbollah in Taiwan and detonated them remotely at around 3:30 p.m. These sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, gave the American daily details of this unprecedented operation, attributed by the Lebanese Islamist movement to Israel. The Figaro takes stock of the situation.
Hezbollah ‘will continue’ fight to support Gaza
Hezbollah said on Wednesday, September 18, that it “will continue” its support operations in Gaza, despite the deadly wave of pager explosions that targeted it and which the Lebanese Shiite movement blames on Israel.
He clarified in a statement published on Telegram that this path was “distinct from the difficult toll that the criminal enemy (Israel, Editor’s note) must expect for its massacre on Tuesday”.
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Taiwanese company Gold Apollo denies manufacturing the pagers that exploded
Taiwanese company Gold Apollo on Wednesday denied reports that it manufactured the pagers used by Hezbollah members.
“These are not our products (…) These are not our products from start to finish”the company’s director, Hsu Ching-kuang, told reporters in Taipei, responding to reports in the daily New York Times claiming that the beepers were ordered from Gold Apollo, citing U.S. and other officials speaking on condition of anonymity.
Also readLebanon Explosions: What is a Pager and Why Does Hezbollah Use It?
Israel Trapped Pagers Imported From Taiwan, Report Says New York Times
Officials from the United States and other countries told the New York Times that Israel had managed to hide small explosives in beepers purchased by Hezbollah in Taiwan and detonated them remotely on Tuesday. These sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, gave the American daily details of this unprecedented operation, attributed by the Lebanese Islamist movement to Israel.
The small devices, manufactured by Gold Apollo in Taiwan, were intercepted by Israeli services before their arrival in Lebanon, according to these officials whose nationalities were not detailed. A few dozen grams of explosive material were inserted next to the battery with a trigger, the daily specifies. More than 3,000 copies, mainly of the AP924 model, had been ordered by Hezbollah from the Gold Apollo company in Taiwan, these sources affirm.
The information from the American daily supports the theory, put forward Tuesday by several experts, according to which the Israeli services had managed to infiltrate the Hezbollah logistics chain to plan this attack. A Source close to the movement had earlier indicated to AFP that “The beepers that exploded are from a shipment of 1,000 devices recently imported by Hezbollah”which he believed had been “hacked at the Source”.
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Antony Blinken’s flash visit to Cairo to discuss Gaza ceasefire
The US secretary of state arrived in Cairo early Wednesday for a whirlwind visit to his Egyptian ally. His latest trip to the region — his 10th since October 7 — is notable for where he will not go: Israel or any other Arab capital. US officials say privately that they do not expect breakthroughs at the talks in Cairo on Wednesday, but by going there, Antony Blinken intends to continue to press for a cease-fire and cajole a key ally.
Washington is redoubling its efforts to secure a deal ahead of the November US presidential election and the end of Joe Biden’s term, fearing that with each passing day the risk of regional escalation increases. The simultaneous explosion Tuesday across Lebanon of pagers used by Hezbollah is a good illustration of this.
In Cairo, the head of American diplomacy is to meet with Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and co-chair a meeting of the “strategic dialogue” between the United States and Egypt, according to the State Department. He is also scheduled to hold a news conference with his counterpart Badr Abdelatty.
Last week, Washington decided to release its entire annual military aid to Egypt, $1.3 billion, without setting any conditions related to respect for human rights, unlike last year. Congress still needs to give its approval.
