Lebanon Bans the Transport of Radios and Pagers Through Beirut International Airport

Following the explosion of thousands of radios and pagers on Tuesday and Wednesday, Lebanese officials have banned the transport of these devices through Beirut International Airport until further notice. According to Reuters, the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority requested airlines operating in Beirut on Thursday, September 29, to inform passengers that carrying radios and pagers is prohibited until further notice. The National News Agency of Lebanon reported that the air mail of such devices has also been banned. As a result of the explosions of pagers and radios belonging to Hezbollah members in two waves of attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday, at least 37 people were killed and over 3,000 were injured. Hezbollah in Lebanon claims that Israel carried out this attack. Hezbollah receives millions of dollars in aid from the Islamic Republic of Iran annually. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the recent attacks. The Lebanese Army announced on Thursday that it will destroy suspicious pagers and communication devices in controlled explosions in various areas. The Lebanese Army urged citizens to report any suspicious devices they observe. The Islamic Republic claims it has no proxy groups in the Middle East. However, the Iranian ambassador in Beirut was also injured due to the explosion of pagers used by Hezbollah. Since the terrorist attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, Hezbollah has also entered the war and has repeatedly attempted to attack northern Israel by firing rockets, causing thousands of Israelis to leave their homes in the north of the country. Israel has stated that it will ensure security in its northern regions by any means necessary, whether diplomatic or military. Israel demands Hezbollah's withdrawal from the border areas of Lebanon with Israel. So far, diplomatic efforts to push Hezbollah back to the other side of the Litani River, 30 kilometers from the shared border of Israel and Lebanon based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in the summer of 2006, have failed. Hezbollah was established in 1982 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Several countries, including the United States, Israel, Germany, Serbia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Australia, have recognized the entire group as a terrorist organization. Recognizing Hezbollah as a terrorist organization means not distinguishing between its political and military branches and labeling both branches as terrorist. The White House stated that the U.S. had no involvement in the explosions of communication devices belonging to Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon. Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon have been targeted by Israeli air and artillery attacks. The Israeli Defense Minister stated that the focus of the conflict is shifting from Gaza to Lebanon; we have entered a new phase of war. The explosion of Hezbollah's pagers has drawn attention to a cyber unit of the Israeli army.