youA wave of terror swept through Lebanon again on Wednesday, September 18. In the southern suburbs of Beirut, tension suddenly rose, shortly after 5 p.m., when explosions were heard in the Hezbollah stronghold. After the simultaneous explosion the day before of pagers that killed twelve people and left nearly 3,000 wounded, mostly fighters of the Shiite party, this time walkie-talkies exploded across the country, killing twenty people – among Hezbollah fighters, according to training – and wounding 450, according to a provisional report by the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Panic gripped the southern suburbs. Hezbollah members threw their phones to the ground, worried that all of the Shiite party’s communication devices had been compromised. Residents began anxiously scanning the sky, where Israeli surveillance drones had been spotted. The series of attacks, attributed to Israel and denounced as “blind and illegal” According to international law, the NGO Human Rights Watch has succeeded in instilling fear and paranoia among the population.
Israel’s tactical success
Within Hezbollah’s ranks, there is a debate over whether this operation is a prelude to an Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon or a simple warning to the party to stop its attacks on Israel. In October 2023, Shortly after Hamas’ attack on the Jewish state, The Shiite party began firing rockets into northern Israel, seeking to loosen Hamas’ grip on the Gaza Strip and capitalize on the image of resistance in the Arab world. As hopes fade for a negotiated solution in the Gaza Strip and the Lebanese border, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced Wednesday a “new phase of the war”this time in northern Israel.
“By demonstrating its intelligence superiority, Israel has once again succeeded in humiliating Hezbollah and, indirectly, Iran.”“The series of attacks has thrown Hezbollah’s ranks into disarray, dealt a blow to the morale of its supporters and immediately reduced its ability to respond,” said Ali Alfoneh, a researcher at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. “Before even preparing its response, the Party of God will have to identify security vulnerabilities and informants, and adapt its security protocols.” “These formations learn from their mistakes and will be driven towards technological autonomy, to reduce the risk of infiltration”predicts Ali Alfoneh.
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