Lebanon Bans Pagers & Walkie-Talkies On All Flights Leaving Beirut

The last two days saw so many pagers, two-way radios, and electronic devices explode – literally thousands – that there are fears an electronic with a bomb in it could inadvertently make its way onto a passenger flight. The country’s state news broadcaster NNA is reporting that Lebanon’s director general of civil aviation has banned all passengers from carrying pagers and walkie-talkies on board any aircraft.

Airport security at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport will search for and prevent any pagers or two-way radios from being in cargo, checked, and carry-on luggage. The rule has taken effect immediately.

Illustrative file image: Reuters

Following the Tuesday and Wednesday blasts, believed the work of Israeli intelligence, at least 37 have been killed and over 3,250 others injured. Reports say that even laptops and cell phones exploded in some instances. Lebanon’s Health Ministry on Thursday said there were 608 injured in the Wednesday blasts alone.

Some analysts are currently expressing that a ban on pagers and walkie-talkies could be something that spreads beyond airports in the Middle East. There were so many blasts all across Beirut and Lebanon, with some reported in Syria too, that the concern is a rigged pager could easily make it on a flight, possibly with someone sitting next to a window. 

The EU’s Josep Borrell yesterday highlighted the “indiscriminate” tactic of the Israeli operation, while the Kremlin condemned it as “international terrorism”.

While the majority of dead and injured appear to be Hezbollah operatives, several were civilians including children and medical workers. Many devices blew up inside homes and apartment buildings. A regional report summarizes:

On Tuesday, some 4,000 pagers exploded over the course of an hour. A day later, more explosions of handheld devices, including walkie-talkie radios, mobile phones, laptops and even solar power cells, took place.

Abiad said that more than 300 patients are in intensive care, and 400 require surgeries and other treatments.

The explosions on Wednesday involved “larger and bigger devices that caused more damage”, he added, resulting in wounds that involve “internal bleeding, injuries to the abdomen and other parts of the body, including brain haemorrhages”.

A local medical professional, Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah, described to Sky News there has been a huge number of amputations as a result of the attack. “Almost exclusively the pager explodes in the hand while people are trying to read the message, so we’re getting mangled hands and penetrating injuries and blast injuries to the face and the eyes,” he said. He said many of the victims “will end up with some permanent disability.”

“We are all afraid,” Beirut resident Rana Bahlawani told Al Jazeera. “Everyone is living day by day as no one knows what to expect.” The capital’s popular seaside promenade, the Corniche, has reported to be empty throughout Thursday.

Russia has accused the West of a double standard after the US has refused to condemn the pager attacks, calling it “international terrorism”..

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on the pager blasts in Lebanon for RT, labeling the attack as international terrorism. She added that the world should closely monitor the West’s reaction. pic.twitter.com/bQXkt7hI0s

— RT (@RT_com) September 19, 2024

One prominent X account of a Lebanese user living in the West wrote: “My cousin in Beirut messaged me saying she disconnected her baby monitor and other household appliances and devices. Our people are unaware of which devices are safe and which are not.” A feeling of paranoia, chaos, and fear has gripped much of Lebanon.

Another commenter, Marc Lynch, said of the pager operation, “Israel’s attack on Hezbollah phones was technically brilliant, sure. It was also absolutely guaranteed that phones would explode in densely packed civilian areas. Markets, malls, taxis, buses. Just look at footage from hospitals. In any other context we’d call that terrorism and it is here too.”

Meanwhile, the NY Times strikes again:

“Noncombatants were also drawn into the fray.”

NYT is trying really hard to avoid saying Israel killed civilians in Lebanon attack. pic.twitter.com/wY2719aZfT

— Assal Rad (@AssalRad) September 19, 2024