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Yesterday, pagers exploded. Today Israel explodes Hezbollah walkie talkies. Tomorrow explode what?

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Stupidman
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Japanese firm says walkie-talkie production stopped a decade ago​

published at 07:00 British Summer Time
07:00 BST​


An image of the Icom IC-V82 on a wooden desk. It's a black unit with buttons at the bottom and a speaker/receiver at the top
IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS
As hundreds of walkie-talkies exploded across Lebanon yesterday, attention turned to the devices themselves - and how they exploded.

The Japanese firm which apparently makes them says production on that model stopped 10 years ago.

Icom describes the IC-V82 as a handheld radio which was exported to the Middle East from 2004 to 2014 and has not been shipped since then. The manufacturing of the batteries has also stopped, it says.

The company says it isn't possible to confirm whether the IC-V82s that exploded in yesterday's attacks were shipped directly from Icom, or via a distributor.

But the models may not even be from Icom.

Earlier, a sales executive at the US subsidiary of Icom told AP the devices that exploded in Lebanon appeared to be a knock-off product – adding it was easy to find counterfeit versions of the product online.
 

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Stupidman
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All eyes on Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah​

published at 06:40 British Summer Time
06:40 BST​


23231686-4007-4d0d-a14c-993b755541a9.jpg.webp
Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem

Hassan Nasrallah speaking last month
IMAGE SOURCE,EPA
Image caption,
Hassan Nasrallah speaking last month, as seen in a coffee shop in Beirut

Yesterday was the deadliest day in Lebanon since a new round of cross-border fighting between Hezbollah and Israel began nearly a year ago, stoked by the war in Gaza.

Israel is reportedly now moving more of its forces to the northern border with Lebanon. In comments last night declaring a "new phase" of war, Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant said "the centre of gravity" was moving north.

The entire region will now be listening closely when Hassan Nasrallah - the head of Hezbollah - speaks in a televised address this afternoon, expected at 15:00 BST.

His Iran-backed armed group has been hurt and humiliated by the extraordinary attacks on its communications network - and has vowed "just punishment".
 

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Stupidman
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European pager manufacturer was Israeli shell company - report​

Yesterday the Hungary-based firm BAC Consulting was under scrutiny after a Taiwanese firm, Gold Apollo, accused it of manufacturing the pagers that exploded in Lebanon on Tuesday.

BAC's chief executive denied the allegations, but now the New York Times reports it was an Israeli shell company.

It was one of at least three shell companies created to mask the identities of Israeli intelligence officers creating the pagers, the news outlet said, citing three intelligence officers briefed on the operation.

BAC took ordinary clients as well as Hezbollah but the group's pagers were produced separately, containing batteries laced with the explosive PETN, the officers said.
Israel would then trigger the pagers with a message in Arabic that looked as if it had come from Hezbollah's senior leadership.

Production was ramped up after Hezbollah got rid of its mobile phones, when its leader warned Israel was using them to gather intelligence on the group.

The three intelligence officials told the NYT that Israel had invested millions in developing technology to hack them.
 

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Stupidman
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Walkie-talkies and pagers banned from Beirut airport​

published at 09:36 British Summer Time
09:36 BST​


Walkie-talkies and pagers have now been banned onboard all flights operating at Beirut's Rafic Hariri Airport - the only operational commercial airport in Lebanon.

According to Lebanon's National News Agency, which quoted the aviation agency, passengers have been told that they may not carry such devices in their carry-ons, and they will be confiscated immediately if found.
 
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