Hezbollah 'could not be more vulnerable' after deadly wave of attacks former IDF spokesperson tells LBC

19 September 2024, 08:39

Former IDF spokesperson says Hezbollah 'could not be more vulnerable at this point in time'

By EJ Ward

A deadly and sophisticated wave of attacks on Hezbollah’s communication system has left Hezbollah vulnerable and with little ability to communicate.

Israel declared a "new phase of war" after a second wave of explosions in Lebanon yesterday, as Downing Street called the situation "deeply disturbing".

At least 20 people were killed and more than 450 wounded when walkie-talkies used by members of Hezbollah blew up on Wednesday afternoon.

It follows a similar incident affecting pagers a day earlier. The attack is believed to be the result of a long-planned cyber operation, with Israel being blamed for the deadly explosions.

The pagers, reportedly acquired by Hezbollah earlier this year after their leader Hassan Nasrallah warned members to stop using mobile phones due to concerns over Israeli tracking, exploded simultaneously, leading to the death of key Hezbollah personnel and seriously wounding Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani.

Lebanon’s Health Minister, Firas Abiad, confirmed that 2,750 people were injured, with 200 in critical condition. The explosions, which targeted pagers being used by Hezbollah members, have been described as a devastating blow to the group’s communication infrastructure.

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Sophisticated Attack

The explosions appear to have been a carefully coordinated attack, possibly orchestrated by tampering with the devices before they were imported to Lebanon.

The pagers were produced by BAC Consulting KFT, a company based in Hungary, but carried the branding of Taiwanese firm Gold Apollo, which had authorised the use of its trademark in certain regions.

In a statement, Gold Apollo clarified: "We only provide brand trademark authorisation and have no involvement in the design or manufacturing of this product."

Pagers that exploded were a new brand, Hezbollah official says

Experts believe the attack demonstrates advanced intelligence and cyber capabilities. Lieutenant Colonel Avital Leibovich, a former spokeswoman for the Israel Defence Forces and now Director at the American Jewish Committee, described the operation as "a superb combination between intelligence capabilities and cyber capabilities which actually targeted Hezbollah terrorists in all levels."

Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast she added that Hezbollah now finds itself in a dilemma, explaining: “They need to figure out, on the one hand, how to push away this humiliating kind of act. But on the other hand, I’m not sure they’re interested in engaging in an all-out war."

The Israeli military has declined to comment on the operation, although Hezbollah has directly accused Israel of carrying out the attack.

Prominent Hezbollah politician Ali Ammar, whose son Mahdi was killed in the explosions, called it "a new Israeli aggression against Lebanon." Ammar vowed retaliation, stating, "The resistance will retaliate in a suitable way at the suitable time."

A Deadly Strike

The attack is said to have affected Hezbollah members at all levels, with the sons of two other senior officials wounded. The group’s communication strategy, which had shifted from mobile phones to pagers earlier this year in an attempt to evade Israeli tracking, has now been severely compromised.

Hezbollah officials reported that the devices first heated up before detonating, suggesting a high degree of planning and sophistication.

The US State Department has denied any involvement in the incident. Spokesman Matthew Miller stated: "The US was not aware of this incident in advance. And at this point, we're gathering information."

Images from Beirut’s southern suburbs showed emergency services stretched to capacity, with hospitals flooded by injured people, many of whom suffered wounds to their hands and legs. Lebanon's Health Ministry has urged hospitals to be on high alert and warned the public to avoid using wireless devices.

CCTV shows moment man's bag blows up in Lebanon during pager attack

Hezbollah Vulnerable

The attack comes at a time of heightened tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border, with near-daily clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces. The conflict has claimed hundreds of lives on both sides and displaced thousands.

Hezbollah now faces an urgent challenge in restoring secure communication lines.

Leibovich noted that the group’s vulnerability has been exposed, telling LBC, “The message that was sent to Hezbollah is that they could not be more vulnerable at this point of time,” she said.

“When they asked all their terrorists, all their units, to discard immediately any use of pagers or different walkie-talkie types of communication devices and so on, it’s really unclear how exactly they’re planning to communicate.”

As tensions continue to rise, the attack has left Hezbollah scrambling to re-establish control over its operations, all while dealing with the loss of key personnel and significant communication disruption.

While retaliation is expected, the scale and scope of any response remain to be seen.