Naim Qasem, the number 2 of the extremist group Hezbollah, said this Sunday (22.Sep.2024) that the war against Israel “entered a new phase”. The statement came after the group launched 150 rockets into Israeli territory.
Hezbollah’s attack was in retaliation for the attack on pagers in Lebanon. The extremist group blames Israel for the attack. Tel Aviv denies responsibility. Thirty-seven people died and 2,750 were injured, including Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani.
According to the agency ReutersHezbollah confirmed that at least 16 of its members were killed, including high-ranking commanders of the Lebanese extremist group, such as Ibrahim Aqil and Ahmed Wahbi.
Hezbollah’s No. 2 Qasem said a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip would halt attacks by Hamas-allied Hezbollah on Israel. He said the “the Israeli military solution” imposes a “dilemma” against Tel Aviv.
PAGERS EXPLOSIONS
A series of pager explosions on Tuesday (September 17, 2024) and Wednesday (September 18) in Lebanon resulted in the deaths of 37 people. The Lebanese government and Hezbollah accuse Israel of being responsible for hacking the devices, used by members of the extremist group.
Pagers are devices used to receive alerts and short messages. They are still used for communication in places because of their reliability, although the proliferation of cell phones – and later smartphones – has reduced their circulation.
The use of analog communicators was recommended by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in February to avoid tracking by Israel. According to the state agency Al Jazeerafrom Qatar, and the Irna, from Iran, these devices contained explosive charges of less than 50 grams. The Lebanese government advised the population to immediately discard the pagers.
ITAMARATY CONDEMNS ATTACK
The president’s government Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) condemned the bombing carried out by the Israeli Army in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon.
In noticethe Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it monitors, “with deep concern, this latest episode in the escalation of tensions in the region” and called for a ceasefire. Here is the full (PDF – 96 kB).
“Brazil urges the parties involved to exercise maximum restraint and to immediately halt the attacks, which threaten to lead the region into a conflict of large proportions”declared the Itamaraty.
The ministry said it was monitoring the situation of Brazilians in Lebanon and was providing the necessary guidance through the embassy in Beirut.
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