What's happened
On September 17, 2024, a series of explosions from modified AR-924 pagers killed at least 12 people and injured 3,000 in Lebanon and Syria. The devices, linked to a suspected Israeli operation, were reportedly rigged with explosives by Israel's Mossad, prompting Hezbollah to vow retaliation against Israel.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to The Independent, the pagers were linked to a suspected Israeli operation, with CEO Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono stating, "I do not make the pagers. I am just the intermediary." Sky News corroborated this, noting that the devices were manufactured under license by BAC Consultancy in Budapest. A Lebanese security source indicated that Israel's Mossad had planted explosives in the pagers, which were undetected for months. This narrative is echoed across multiple reports, emphasizing the complexity of the situation and the potential for further conflict.
How we got here
The explosions occurred amid ongoing conflict in the region, particularly following the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. The pagers were allegedly ordered by Hezbollah and modified before delivery, leading to significant casualties.
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Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
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Hezbollah is a Shia Islamist political party and militant group based in Lebanon. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese parliament.
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Budapest is the capital and the most populous city of Hungary, and the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits. The city has an estimated population of 1,752,286 over a land area of about 525 square kilometres.
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Mossad, short for HaMossad leModiʿin uleTafkidim Meyuḥadim, is the national intelligence agency of Israel. It is one of the main entities in the Israeli Intelligence Community, along with Aman and Shin Bet.
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Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist militant organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
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The Gaza Strip, or simply Gaza, is a self-governing Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, that borders Egypt on the southwest for 11 kilometers and Israel on the east and north along a 51 km border.