Pager attacks shake Hezbollah; are they prelude to Israel-Lebanon deal?
Despite US warnings about the unintended consequences of war with Hezbollah, Israel's leaders claim the extent and intensity of the fire can be controlled.
TEL AVIV — The explosions across Lebanon, first by thousands of pagers and then by hundreds of walkie-talkies, have shifted the balance of power between Israel and Hezbollah, giving Israel the upper hand, at least temporarily.
Tuesday and Wednesday were arguably the most effective days militarily for Israel since it was dragged into the war in Gaza on Oct. 7. They were also some of the worst ever for Hezbollah, with dozens of its fighters killed in explosions of booby-trapped communications devices attributed to Israel. Friday seems the closest Israel has come to an all-out clash with Hezbollah and its sponsor Iran since the war began 350 days ago.
Overnight on Thursday and into Friday, Sept. 19–20, dozens of Israeli fighter jets destroyed around 100 loaded rocket launchers in southern Lebanon that the Israeli military said Hezbollah had primed to fire 1,000 missiles into Israel. Just hours before, Hezbollah had launched some 70 missiles at northern Israel, some armed with particularly heavy Burqan warheads, killing two soldiers and causing widespread property damage.
In the latest indications of preparations for an Israeli ground offensive in Lebanon, the military urged Israelis to stay away from areas in the north where troops would be drilling on Friday and Saturday. While neither Israel nor Hezbollah want a full-scale war, as has been the case since Hezbollah mobilized to help Hamas almost a year ago, neither now feels it has much to lose. That has been clear from statements issued by Israeli senior officials as well as Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.
