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27 September 2024

Wider war closer after Israel's attack on Lebanon

Paul R. Pillar

The remotely triggered bombings in Lebanon using rigged pagers and walkie-talkies are a more clandestine version of what Israel has been doing with deadly force for some time and especially during the past year. One feature of Israel’s lethal campaigns is low regard for the lives of innocent civilians. Putting explosives in thousands of innocuous looking communication devices was certain, when detonated, to maim many people throughout Lebanon who never have fought against Israel, including people who are not even members of Hezbollah.

The pager bombings, besides killing a dozen people, overwhelmed health care facilities with 2,800 wounded, many of whom lost eyes or fingers or suffered other grievous wounds. Among the dead were an 8-year-old girl, and 11-year-old boy, and four health care workers. Exploding walkie-talkies the next day killed an additional 20 people and wounded 450.

The indiscriminate nature of the suffering mirrors what Israel has done in the Gaza Strip during the past 11 months, where it so far has killed more than 40,000 residents, including more than 11,000 children, and wounded nearly 100,000 more, in addition to turning into rubble most infrastructure needed for daily living.

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