Any violent operation aimed at harming and killing civilians in a non-combat situation is universally recognized as an act of terror. In recent days, the world has witnessed a clear example of terrorism characterized by a tactical innovation.
On Wednesday afternoon, an unprecedented wave of explosions unfolded in Lebanon when thousands of handheld communication devices detonated, marking an escalation from Tuesday’s initial attacks involving pager devices. The operation on Tuesday resulted in approximately a dozen fatalities and nearly 3,000 injuries, many of whom were not associated with Hezbollah. On Wednesday explosions, 14 people were killed and 450 injured.
These attacks sowed widespread disorder as the affected devices were integral to civil institutions, including medical centers, thereby disrupting essential services and administrative functions.
Suspicions have been cast on Israel, accused of leveraging civilian infrastructure to target Hezbollah members and also Lebanese civilians. Such actions carry the risk of provoking Hezbollah’s reciprocal retaliation. Additionally, Israel is well aware of the strategic value of Israeli hostages in Gaza for the Axis of Resistance.
The involvement of Taiwanese and Hungarian-branded devices has led to calls for boycott of the products of these two countries in some Islamic nations. Some observers have even gone a step further and given China the right to take back Taiwan, critiquing possible Taiwan’s cooperation with the US and Israel in this scenario.
Iran’s reaction
Iranian Ambassador to Beirut, Mojtaba Amani, sustained minor injuries in the explosions on Tuesday. Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks as “mass murder” and an “act of terror,” asserting its right to take all necessary measures in response to the assault on its ambassador.
Tehran also expressed its readiness to provide medical assistance to those injured in the explosions.
Another important question is whether any of the suspicious communication devices have been imported to Iran. So far, no similar incidents have been reported in the country.
New phase in the war
This multi-layered operation was not simply designed to inflict harm on Hezbollah military forces; it represents a broader strategy. Hezbollah members affected by the blasts were not participating in active military engagements, and the group’s security measures already discouraged smartphones and similar devices usage to protect operational secrecy.
In a series of calculated moves, Israel has previously executed targeted assassinations, including that of Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah commander, and seeks to use these recent explosions to pressure Hezbollah into altering its approach to the Israeli conflict. That is why this operation aims less at direct military confrontation and more at undermining psychological stability within Lebanon, coercively shifting the strategic landscape.
Though the operation does not impact the direct exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israel, the real battle in this regard occurs within the realms of intelligence and security. The current situation categorizes any communication device in Lebanon as a potential threat, complicating efforts to establish a safe communications network and reflecting a broader campaign of strategic messaging rather than immediate large-scale conflict initiations.
Israel appears intent on recalibrating rules of engagement with Hezbollah through a nuanced combination of security measures and psychological tactics. These operations indicate a shift in the conventional parameters of engagement over the past year, signaling a transition into a new phase of conflict.
The sabotage operation on the past two days, also aims to destroy Hezbollah’s communication network and, as a result, undermine its military control and command in the midst of the ongoing conflict. Thus, observers should brace for Israel’s ongoing assessment that how these explosions will impact Hezbollah’s military maneuvering capacity.
As Hezbollah resumed rocket fire in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, the group likely intended to demonstrate resilience, asserting that the previous day’s disruptions had not compromised their combat abilities. Now, all eyes are on the anticipated address by Hezbollah’s Secretary General, which is expected to shed light on their strategic assessment and response in this evolving situation.
