Qatar Airways Bans Communication Devices Such as Walkie-Talkies on Flights to Lebanon

Following Lebanon's decision to prohibit the carrying of any type of pager, walkie-talkie, and similar equipment on all flights operating in Lebanon, Qatar Airways announced a similar decision. On Thursday, September 29, Qatar Airways stated that no passenger is allowed to carry such devices on flights. Qatar Airways emphasized that passengers are prohibited from bringing pagers, walkie-talkies, and similar equipment, whether in the airplane or in their luggage. Qatar Airways particularly stressed the enforcement of this ban for Lebanese passengers on flights originating from and to Lebanon. It seems Qatar is concerned that individuals associated with Hezbollah may endanger Qatar Airways flights by carrying such equipment. Following the explosion of thousands of pagers, walkie-talkies, and other devices in Lebanon and parts of Syria held by Hezbollah forces, Lebanon initially banned the carrying of these devices by passengers due to safety concerns for flights. The Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority on Thursday requested all airlines operating in Lebanon to inform passengers that carrying any such communication devices is prohibited. Following this directive, the Lebanese state news agency announced that no passenger is allowed to carry such equipment. There has been no news from the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the imposition of a ban on carrying such equipment for passengers on its airlines to Lebanon and Syria. Iranian airlines, which have multiple daily flights to Lebanon and Syria, have always been under suspicion of transporting Hezbollah forces or Iranian agents connected to Hezbollah on these flights. The Islamic Republic of Iran transferred its injured ambassador on Wednesday night along with many injured Hezbollah forces from Beirut to Tehran for continued treatment. Iran has announced that it will transfer Hezbollah's injured members for hospitalization in Tehran's hospitals. These transfers, which are believed to include other Hezbollah forces, are conducted by airplane. The commander of the Revolutionary Guards visited the first group of Lebanese injured hospitalized in Tehran on September 29. Explosions of communication devices belonging to Hezbollah resulted in at least 25 deaths in the second wave; Iran's letter to the United Nations. The explosions of equipment on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, which occurred 24 hours apart, left at least 37 dead and thousands injured, mainly in Lebanon. A significant number of the injured have lost limbs, and hundreds have lost one eye or their vision. The explosions of walkie-talkies caused more deaths, but since they were in the hands of fewer Hezbollah security forces, the number of injuries was lower, reported at around 610. However, the explosion of pagers, which resulted in 12 deaths, injured about three thousand people. The explosions have created significant fear among the people and various institutions in Lebanon, especially since it was reported that some equipment, such as attendance computer clocks in social institutions affiliated with Hezbollah or their mobile phones and handheld computers, also exploded and injured individuals. The Lebanese army has asked the people of the country to report any 'suspicious devices' to security agencies. The Lebanese army also reported the controlled destruction of equipment that had not exploded but was deemed suspicious. The Secretary-General of Hezbollah, in his speech on Thursday, stated that thousands of devices were in his group's possession that had not yet been distributed. He called this event a 'heavy blow' to his group. Hezbollah and Iran attributed the responsibility for the explosions of Hezbollah's communication equipment to Israel. Israel has remained silent on this matter. With regional and global concerns about the potential escalation of daily border conflicts between the Israeli army in the north of the country and Hezbollah, Canadian Airlines (Air Canada) announced on Friday, September 30, that it would suspend all its flights to Israel and Lebanon until the end of the current year (about three months and ten days). This suspension follows the suspicious explosions of Hezbollah's communication equipment. According to Israeli Channel Kan, given the similar decision by major American airlines regarding flights from the U.S. to Israel and from Tel Aviv, currently, El Al, one of the major Israeli airlines, remains the only option for flights from Tel Aviv to New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and several other cities in the U.S. and also to Toronto in Canada. Only a few of the dozens of international airlines that had previously canceled their flights to Israel and the region due to military developments following the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas's political bureau, and Fawad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah commander in early August, have recently resumed some flights.