BEIRUT – Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike inside last yr the militant group This is in accordance with recent details revealed on Sunday by a senior Hezbollah official.

A series of Israeli airstrikes destroyed several buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs on September 27, 2024, killing Nasrallah. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, six people died. According to news reports, Nasrallah and other senior officials met underground.

The killing of Nasrallah, who led Hezbollah for 32 years, turned months of sunshine attacks between Israel and the militants into an all-out war that rocked large swaths of southern and eastern Lebanon for 2 months a US-brokered ceasefire got here into force on November twenty seventh.

“His Eminence (Hassan Nasrallah) directed the battle and the war from this place,” senior Hezbollah security official Wafiq Safa said at a news conference on Sunday near where Nasrallah was killed. He said Nasrallah died within the war operations room. He didn’t give any further details.

Lebanese media had reported that Safa was the goal of Israeli airstrikes in central Beirut before the ceasefire, but appeared to stay unscathed.

During the primary phase of the ceasefire, Hezbollah is predicted to withdraw its fighters, weapons and infrastructure from southern Lebanon north of the Litani River, while Israeli troops that entered southern Lebanon have to be completely withdrawn inside 60 days. Lebanese Army soldiers are to be deployed in large numbers and can form the one armed presence in southern Lebanon alongside United Nations peacekeepers.

Lebanon and Hezbollah have criticized continued Israeli attacks and overflights across the country, withdrawing from only two of dozens of Lebanese villages it controls. Israel says the Lebanese military has did not do its part in dismantling Hezbollah's infrastructure.

Hezbollah's current leader, Naim Kassem, warned in a televised address on Saturday that its fighters could attack Israel if its troops don’t leave the south by the tip of the month.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz expressed similar views should Hezbollah fighters not advance north of the Litani River and their infrastructure remain intact.

“If this condition is not met, there will be no agreement and Israel will be forced to act alone to ensure the safe return of residents of (Israel's) north to their homes,” he said.

Safa said Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who negotiated the ceasefire cope with Washington, told Hezbollah that the federal government would soon meet with U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein. “And given what is happening, there will be a position,” Safa said.

Hochstein had led the shuttle diplomacy effort to attain the delicate ceasefire.

Originally published: January 5, 2025 at 10:22 am PST

World News

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire cope with Lebanon's Hezbollah on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to just about 14 months of fighting linked to the continued war within the Gaza Strip.

Israeli warplanes, meanwhile, carried out the fiercest wave of attacks in Beirut and its southern suburbs for the reason that start of the conflict and issued a record variety of evacuation warnings. At least 24 people were killed in attacks across the country, local authorities said, as Israel signaled it desires to proceed attacking Hezbollah before the ceasefire takes effect at 4 a.m. local time on Wednesday.

Another massive airstrike rocked Beirut shortly after the ceasefire was announced.

Israel's security cabinet approved the ceasefire deal late Tuesday after it was presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his office said. US President Joe Biden called the agreement “good news” in Washington and said his administration would renew its commitment to a ceasefire in Gaza.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah can be the primary major step toward ending the regional unrest sparked by Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. However, it doesn’t address the devastating war in Gaza, where Hamas still holds dozens of hostages. The conflict is more intractable.

US President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East, without saying how. The Biden administration spent much of this yr negotiating a ceasefire and the discharge of hostages in Gaza, however the talks repeatedly failed.

Still, an end to fighting in Lebanon should reduce the likelihood of a war between Israel and Iran, which backs each Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel twice earlier this yr.

Netanyahu presented the ceasefire proposal to Cabinet ministers after a televised address during which he listed a series of successes against Israel's enemies across the region. He said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas in Gaza and permit Israel to deal with its most important enemy, Iran, which supports each groups.

“If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “Any violation, we will attack with all our might.”

The ceasefire agreement calls for an initial two-month cessation of fighting and would require Hezbollah to finish its armed presence across a large swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers can be deployed to the south, and a world body led by the United States would monitor compliance by all sides.

But implementation stays a giant query mark. Israel has asserted the suitable to intervene if Hezbollah violates its commitments. Lebanese officials have declined to incorporate this within the proposal.

Biden said Israel reserves the suitable to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah violates the terms of the ceasefire, but that the agreement was “designed for a permanent cessation of hostilities.”

Netanyahu's office said Israel appreciated U.S. efforts to secure the deal but “reserves the right to act against any threat to its security.”

Hezbollah said it accepted the proposal, but a senior official from the group said Tuesday that it had not yet seen the agreement in its final form.

“After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see whether there is a correspondence between what we said and what was agreed by the Lebanese officials,” said Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chairman of the political Hezbollah Council, told Al Jazeera news channel.

“We obviously want an end to the aggression, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state of Lebanon,” he said. “Any violation of sovereignty is rejected.”

Even as Israeli, U.S., Lebanese and international officials have expressed growing optimism a few ceasefire, Israel has continued its campaign in Lebanon, which it says is aimed toward weakening Hezbollah's military capabilities.

An Israeli strike leveled a residential constructing in Beirut's central Basta district on Tuesday – the second time in recent days that warplanes have struck the crowded area near the town's downtown. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at the least seven people were killed and 37 injured. At least one person was killed and 13 injured in attacks on Beirut's southern suburbs, it said.

Three people were killed in a separate attack in Beirut and three in an attack on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon. According to Lebanese state media, one other ten people were killed within the eastern province of Baalbek. Israel says it’s targeting Hezbollah fighters and their infrastructure.

Israel also attacked a constructing in Beirut's busy Hamra business district for the primary time, at a site about 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon's central bank. There were no reports of casualties.

The Israeli military said it struck targets in Beirut and other areas linked to Hezbollah's financial arm.

The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut, that had not previously been attacked. The warnings, coupled with fears that Israel would escalate its attacks before a ceasefire, caused residents to flee. Traffic got here to a standstill and mattresses were tied to some cars. Dozens of individuals, some in pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah continued its rocket fire and triggered air raid sirens in northern Israel.

Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a powerful presence, in addition to a warning for the southern city of Naqoura, where the UN peacekeeping mission UNIFIL is predicated.

UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti told The Associated Press that peacekeepers is not going to be evacuated.

The Israeli military also said its ground forces clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers within the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a number of kilometers from the Israeli border.

Under the ceasefire agreement, Hezbollah can be required to maneuver its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border.

A day after Hamas carried out its October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that sparked the Gaza War, Hezbollah began firing on northern Israel, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah and there was an exchange of fireside between the 2 sides ever since.

In mid-September, Israel stepped up its bombing campaign and later sent troops into Lebanon. In doing so, it promised to place an end to Hezbollah fire in order that tens of hundreds of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes.

Lebanese health authorities say greater than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon previously 13 months, a lot of them civilians. The bombing forced 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed greater than 2,000 Hezbollah members.

Hezbollah fire has forced about 50,000 Israelis to evacuate within the north of the country, and its rockets have reached southern Israel so far as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people were killed, greater than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers were killed in the bottom offensive in Lebanon.

'Balance of power'

Christian condolences

By AAMER MADHANI and MATTHEW LEE

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. (AP) – The Israeli attack that killed Hezbollahs Hassan Nasrallah is a “measure of justice” for the victims of a four-decade “reign of terror,” President Joe Biden said on Saturday.

The comments got here after the Lebanese Hezbollah group confirmed earlier on Saturday that Nasrallah, one in every of the group's founders, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut the day before.

Biden noted that the operation to eliminate Nasrallah took place within the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas' massacre of Israelis on October 7, 2023.

“Nasrallah made the fateful decision the next day to join forces with Hamas and open a so-called 'Northern Front' against Israel,” Biden said in a press release.

He also identified that Hezbollah, under Nasrallah's leadership, was accountable for the deaths of 1000’s of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese.

Hezbollah's attacks against U.S. interests include the truck bombing of the U.S. Embassy and multinational military barracks in Beirut in 1983, and the kidnapping of the Central Intelligence Agency's station chief in Beirut, who died in captivity. The US said Hezbollah leaders armed and trained militias that carried out attacks on American forces throughout the war in Iraq.

The White House considers Nasrallah's death a serious blow to the group. At the identical time, the federal government has tried to tread cautiously and stop Israel's war with Hamas, which like Hezbollah is backed by Iran, from escalating right into a full-scale regional conflict.

The White House and Pentagon rushed to publicly say on Friday, shortly after the attack, that Israel had given no advance warning of the operation.

“President Biden and I do not want the conflict in the Middle East to escalate into a broader regional war,” Vice President Kamala Harris said Saturday in a press release that reiterated Biden’s description of a “measure of justice.” She added: “Diplomacy remains the best way to protect civilians and achieve lasting stability in the region.”

The confirmation of Nasrallah's death is available in per week that began with Biden's top national security advisers working on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly to drum up support for what they hoped can be a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah Efforts to succeed in a ceasefire in Gaza could also breathe latest life into the deadlock.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a defiant speech On Friday, he pledged to the United Nations to proceed operations against Hezbollah until tens of 1000’s of Israeli residents displaced by rocket attacks can return home. Shortly thereafter, Israel carried out the attack and killed Nasrallah.

Biden reiterated on Saturday that he wants ceasefires each within the Gaza Strip and between Israel and Hezbollah.

“It is time for these deals to be completed, for the threats to Israel to be eliminated and for the entire Middle East region to achieve greater stability,” Biden said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of supporting the murder of Nasrallah and dozens of others.

“The world community will not forget that the order for the terrorist attack was given from New York and the Americans cannot absolve themselves of complicity with the Zionists,” Pezeshkian was quoted as saying in a press release read on Iranian state television.

The State Department on Saturday ordered the departure of the families of U.S. diplomats not employed on the embassy in Beirut and authorized the departure of those employed on the embassy in Beirut and non-essential personnel as a consequence of “the volatile and unpredictable nature of the situation.” Security situation” within the Lebanese capital.

The State Department has previously advised U.S. residents to contemplate leaving Lebanon and reiterated its warning against any travel to the country.

“Due to increased volatility following airstrikes in Beirut and the volatile and unpredictable security situation throughout Lebanon, the U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to leave Lebanon while commercial options are still available,” the ministry said in a press release on Saturday .

The State Department often orders or authorizes the departure of non-essential embassy employees and members of the family of diplomats when security conditions deteriorate within the country by which they’re stationed.

An ordered departure is just not technically an evacuation, however it does require those affected to go away the country. An approved exit enables those affected to go away the country voluntarily on the state's expense.

Biden directed the Pentagon on Friday to evaluate and adjust as crucial the posture of U.S. forces within the region to strengthen deterrence, ensure force protection and support the complete spectrum of U.S. objectives.

The president called for the assessment after the Pentagon announced earlier this week that it could send an unspecified variety of U.S. troops additional US troops within the region due to rising tensions.

Originally published: September 28, 2024 at 9:45 am

For almost a yr, Israel and Hezbollah have been increasingly provocative cross-border skirmishes Observers warn that this escalating war of attrition will plunge the region into open conflictIn recent days, this devastating scenario has come closer to reality.

First got here Israel’s Pager and walkie-talkie attackan unprecedented attack on Hezbollah communications, through which 1000’s of members of the organization were injured. This was followed the murder of Ibrahim Aqila key Hezbollah leader who died in an airstrike that also killed other senior commanders of the militant group and a few civilians. Hezbollah responded with Expanding the geographical reach The rockets they fired at Israel targeted each military installations and civilian residential areas north and east of Haifa.

As Scholar of Lebanon and IsraelI even have been following the dynamics of this war of attrition since October 8, 2023, the day after Hamas launched an unprecedented and deadly attack on Israel, which responded by bombing the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah then began firing rockets into northern Israel in solidarity with Hamas within the Gaza Strip.

Despite the high rhetoric and mutual threats of destructionUntil recently, neither Israel nor Hezbollah or its sponsor Iran showed any interest in a full-scale war. All parties are aware of the likely devastating consequences of such an event: Israel has the military power to devastate Beirut and other parts of Lebanon because it has done Gaza, and even a weakened Hezbollah could fire 1000’s of rockets at strategic Israeli sites, from the airport to central Tel Aviv, at water pipelines and electricity centers, and offshore gas rigs.

Instead, there was gunfire and beating along the shared border, with some agreement on the geographical scope of attacks and efforts to intentionally avoid targeting civilians.

But Israel's recent attacks in Lebanon can have transformed this war of attrition right into a recent and much more acute situation, bringing the region to the brink of a full-scale war. Such a war would wreak havoc in Lebanon and Israel and will also draw Iran and the United States into direct confrontation. It would also fulfill the apparent the Hamas fighters who around 1,200 Israelis murdered on October 7, hoping that a troublesome Israeli response would involve more groups throughout the region.

A dangerous “new phase”

During the nearly year-long hostilities, Hezbollah's Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah repeatedly stressed that his organization would only stop firing if there was a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. In recent weeks, nevertheless, Israel has steered the conflict in the wrong way.

The country’s Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, described the coordinated attacks Hezbolah's goals as a “new phase” and added that the “centre of gravity” of the war was shifting north to Lebanon. The Israeli government has called the “safe return of the northern residents to their homes” an extra war goal.

The attack on Hezbollah’s communications system targeted the organization’s activists, many innocent civilians hitwhich has left the Lebanese people feeling shock, trauma, anger and despair.

It demonstrated Israel's tactical military advantage over Hezbollah. The unprecedented penetration into the center of the organization's command and base structures was never seen before in any conflict or war worldwide. It hit Hezbollah at its most vulnerable points and even exposed its collaboration with Iran – one in every of the casualties of the pager explosions was the Iranian ambassador in Lebanon.

The Killing of Akil Two days later, one other signal followed that the Israeli government had now decided to vary the principles of this dangerous game of retaliation and counter-retaliation. It is evident that Israel's intention now could be to pressure Hezbollah into give up, quite than maintain the precarious established order that has characterised this war of attrition for nearly a yr.

Out of control

Nasrallah held a dark and defiant speech within the wake of the Pager attack. While acknowledging that Hezbollah had been severely weakened by the operation, he described the Israeli attack as a continuation of “numerous other massacres committed by the enemy over decades.”

In doing so, he embedded it in a preferred historical narrative amongst many Lebanese and Palestinians, which View Israel as a criminal entity which often commits massacres of innocent civilians.

Nasrallah also stressed that he stays steadfast in his support for Hamas within the Gaza Strip.

While he explains that Israeli actions “all red lines crossedand will amount to a declaration of war, Nasrallah also reiterated some extent he has made in previous high points of this ongoing conflict: that retaliation will come, the one query is the timing and extent. In doing so, Nasrallah suggested that he should not be enthusiastic about all-out war.

Israel, however, appears less cautious. After nearly a yr of contained tensions with Hezbollah, Israeli leaders appear willing to risk an escalation that might spiral uncontrolled.

It is difficult to find out the strategy behind Israel’s actions: Since October 7, when The Biden administration has determinedIsrael has not presented a coherent strategy with clear political objectives.

Critics of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claim that his primary concern is his own political survival and maintaining power as head of state and that he’s linking Israel's interests along with his own.

Uniting the “Axis of Resistance”

So what does this mean for Nasrallah, who’s weighing Hezbollah's response, surely in consultation with Iran? After such devastating blows to Nasrallah's organization, it’s difficult to assume Hezbollah being willing to cut back its attacks, stop its cross-border attacks and withdraw from the Israeli border, or abandon its commitment to support Hamas within the Gaza Strip.

On the opposite hand, the choice to go to full-scale war after avoiding it for a yr is fraught with high risks. Both Nasrallah and his sponsors in Tehran are aware of the high costs of such a war for Hezbollah, Lebanon and possibly Iran.

If Hezbollah were to go to war against Israel now, it will be essentially the most momentous step since its Founded in 1982But it needed to achieve this with a compromised communications system and without much of its leadership – a few of whom had worked alongside Nasrallah for many years, constructing the organization’s military strength with him.

In some ways, Israelis under Netanyahu's leadership and Lebanese face similar problems in a rustic increasingly held hostage to Hezbollah's interests: their well-being is sacrificed for other priorities.

Netanyahu Current statements about concern for Israeli residents within the north ring hole after 11 months of pursuing a policy that put them at even greater risk, in addition to against a ceasefire agreement for Gaza This would also end hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel.

In Lebanon, Hezbollah has dragged the country into this war against the need of most Lebanese – a call that has caused considerable devastation in parts of a rustic already affected by extreme political and economic pressure.

In his speech, Nasrallah described Hezbollah's situation as that of Lebanon as an entire – and threatened that dissent wouldn’t be tolerated. Many Lebanese undoubtedly sympathize with the Palestinian cause and condemn Israel's war in Gaza, but they might also be delay by the concept that their very own well-being could have to be sacrificed in the method.

In the meantime, Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader and mastermind behind the October 7 massacre may possibly be watching the unfolding events between Israel and Hezbollah with satisfaction. His plan was aimed toward triggering the unification of all fronts of the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” which incorporates the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed groups, within the hope of a regional war against Israel.

One yr later, we’re closer to this scenario than ever before.

The operation, which used pagers and walkie-talkies to Members of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah kill was sensible – but was it legal?

There are actually those that say so. This way of considering is as follows: Hezbollah is Attack on Israel with rocketsand the pagers and radios purchased by Hezbollah might be utilized by the identical individuals who were involved in the selections to make use of these missiles. Therefore, if the killings were carried out by Israel, as is usually believedappears to be targeted and justified. While some bystanders might die or be injured, this line of considering would likely link them to Hezbollah.

But that will not be the right assessment under international law. I actually have been teaching for over 40 yearsHiding explosives in on a regular basis objects makes them Booby traps – and in just about all cases with a booby trap designed to kill is against the law.

Prohibited weapons of war

It is very important to emphasize that the actions that apparently prompted Israel to attack Hezbollah are also illegal under international law. In fact, Hezbollah, a non-state armed group supported by Iran, has no right to make use of violence of any kind, let alone Rocket attacks on civilians within the north of Israel.

Under international law, a non-state actor only has the suitable to fight whether it is related to the regular armed forces of a sovereign state engaged in armed conflict. And that will not be the case with Hezbollah in Lebanon. This implies that every rocket fired by Hezbollah constitutes the commission of a serious crime.

However, this fact doesn’t give Israel the suitable to make use of booby traps in response.

A booby trap is defined by International Committee of the Red Crossthe body accountable for monitoring and implementing the Geneva Conventions and related treaties on the law of armed conflict, as “harmless portable object” – but modified to contain explosive material. They are a prohibited weapon of war and are equally prohibited by law enforcement.

In peacetime, police and other law enforcement agencies may only use lethal force in cases where a life is in immediate danger. Carefully dismantling a tool, loading it with explosives and using it in homes or places of worship, for instance, can’t be considered a direct life-saving measure.

And in Lebanon, peace law currently applies. According to international law, there’s currently no war in Lebanon. Israel is involved in armed conflicts within the Gaza Stripnot Lebanon. The sporadic attacks on the Lebanese-Israeli border don’t constitute hostilities under international law.

More and more violations

Even if hostilities were to arise between Israel and Lebanon, because it could well occurIsrael would haven’t any right to make use of booby traps. During hostilities, enemy fighters could be targeted and killed. Ambushes and other secret operations are permitted. And civilians could be killed in the method.

But arming a civilian object is strictly prohibited in times of war. It is a type of “insidious killing”, i.e. by deception. It is the alternative of the open carrying of weapons, as required by the venerable treaty, Annex to the Hague Convention of 1907 – which continues to be binding law for all parties involved within the war.

Although it has been clearly illegal for over 100 years, booby traps are still used. During the terrorist violence that Northern Ireland for a long timethe anti-British Irish Republican Army Explosive traps deployedespecially automobile bombs. Members of the group were frequently prosecuted under British law. Members of the US military would even be prosecuted in the event that they decided to construct and use an explosive device.

The use of booby traps is one other of Israel's increasingly protracted violations of international law since October 7. It has itself been the victim of a brutal crime by Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups. International law allows for a robust, decisive response to such against the law. But it also sets strict conditions and limits – and it clearly states that the usage of booby traps goes beyond those limits.

On September 17, 2024, electronic pagers exploded concurrently throughout Lebanon. 12 dead and over 2,700 injured. The next day one other wave of explosions within the country got here from exploding walkie-talkies. The attacks were apparently aimed toward members of the militant Hezbollah.

The Pager Attack with explosives Israeli agents were infiltrated into the communications equipment, in accordance with US officials cited by the New York Times. The report said Hezbollah had recently ordered a shipment of pagers.

Covert supply chain attacks aren’t a brand new technique in intelligence and military operations. For example, the US National Security Agency intercepted computer hardware intended for patrons abroadInject malware or other surveillance tools after which repackage them for delivery to specific foreign buyers, in accordance with an internal NSA document from 2010. This is different from accessing a particular person’s device, reminiscent of when Israel’s Shin Bet secretly planted explosives in a cellphone to kill from a distance a Hamas bomb maker in 1996.

Hezbollah, a long-time enemy of Israel, had increased its use of pagers following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. By switching to relatively easy communication devices reminiscent of pagers and walkie-talkies, Hezbollah has apparently sought a bonus against Israel's well-known sophistication in tracking targets via mobile phones.

Mobile phones: The ultimate tracker

As a former cybersecurity expert and current Security researcherI consider cell phones to be the final word tracking tool for each government and business entities – along with the users, criminals and the mobile operator itself. As a result, cellphone tracking has helped Fight against terrorism, missing individuals found And helped solve crimes.

Conversely, cellphone tracking makes it easy for anyone to record an individual's most intimate movements. This may be done for legitimate purposes, reminiscent of parents tracking their children's movements, helping them find their automotive in a car parking zone, or for business promoting, or for nefarious purposes, reminiscent of remotely spying on a lover suspected of cheating or tracking political activists and journalists. Even the US military stays concerned with the chance that his soldiers may be tracked via their phones.

Mobile device tracking occurs in several ways. First, there may be the Network location data generated by the phone when it passes local cell towers or Stingray devicesutilized by law enforcement agencies to mimic cell towers. Then there are the features which are built into the phone’s operating system or through downloaded apps This may end up in extremely detailed user tracking, which users unknowingly conform to by ignoring the software's privacy policy or terms of service.

This collected data is typically sold to governments or other corporations for extra data mining and user profiling. Modern smartphones even have integrated Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS capabilities that may locate and track user movements worldwide, each from the bottom and via satellite.

Mobile devices may be tracked in real-time or near real-time. Common technical methods include traditional Radio direction finding Techniques that include the usage of reconnaissance satellites or drones, the usage of “man-in-the-middle” tools reminiscent of Stingrays to Imitating cellphone towers to intercept and isolate device traffic or install malware, reminiscent of Pegasus, manufactured by Israeli cyber weapons company NSO to report the situation of a tool.

Non-technical and slower techniques of user tracking include the potential identification of general user locations based on their Internet activityThis may be done through website logs or the metadata of content posted on social media, or through contracts with data brokers to receive any location data collected by apps a user installs on their device.

Because of those weaknesses, the leader of Hezbollah advised his members earlier this yr to Avoid using mobile phones of their activities, noting that Israel's “surveillance devices are in your pockets. If you are looking for the Israeli agent, look at the phone in your hands and those of your wives and children.”

Researchers have shown how these features, often designed for the user’s convenience, may be utilized by governments, corporations and criminals to trace people of their every day lives and even Predicting movements. Many individuals are still not aware how much their mobile devices reveal about them.

However, unlike cell phones, locating pagers may be harder depending on whether or not they support two-way communication or not.

Why switch to low-tech?

A pager that only receives messages doesn’t transmit a signal that would make it easier to locate its owner. Therefore, Hezbollah's use of pagers likely made it harder to locate its operatives – which motivated Israeli intelligence's alleged attack on the Hezbollah pager supply chain.

The use of low-tech tactics and private couriers, in addition to the shortage of mobile phones and digital tools, made it difficult for the technologically superior Western intelligence services to locate Osama bin Laden even years after the September 11 attacks.

In general, I imagine that the opponent in a asymmetric conflict With easy techniques, tactics and technologies it is nearly at all times possible to successfully counter a stronger and better-equipped opponent.

A well-documented proof of this asymmetry in practice was the Millennium Challenge war game in 2002. Among other things, the insurgent Red Forces, led by Marine General Paul van Riper, used low-tech tactics reminiscent of motorcycle couriers as a substitute of cell phones to evade the Blue Forces' high-tech surveillance. In the primary round of the exercise, the Red Team won the competition inside 24 hours, forcing exercise planners to controversially reset and update the scenario to make sure a Blue Team victory.

Lessons for everybody

The proven fact that terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and al-Qaeda prefer not to make use of smartphones is a reminder to all of us that everybody can and possibly shall be persecuted in alternative ways and for various purposes.

Israel's alleged response to Hezbollah's actions can be a lesson for all of us. From a cybersecurity perspective, it shows that each device in your life may be compromised by an adversary sooner or later in the availability chain – long before you even receive it.

JERUSALEM – Israel launched heavy airstrikes in southern Lebanon early Sunday morning in what it said was a preemptive strike against the militant Hezbollah group. The attack threatens to spark a broader war across the region that might torpedo efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.

The army said Hezbollah planned to fireside heavy rockets and missiles at Israel. Shortly afterwards, Hezbollah announced it had attacked Israel with a lot of rockets and drones, a primary response to the killing of one in all its top commanders in an attack in Beirut last month.

Hezbollah had announced a transparent response to the targeted killing of Fouad Shukur, raising fears that months of retaliatory strikes could escalate into open war.

The attacks got here as Egypt is hosting a brand new round of talks to finish the 11-month war between Israel and Hamas. Hezbollah has said it should stop fighting if there’s a ceasefire in Gaza. Iran supports each groups, in addition to militant groups in Syria, Iraq and Yemen that might develop into involved in a wider conflict.

Air raid sirens were reported throughout northern Israel, and Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport diverted incoming flights and temporarily delayed takeoffs. The Israel Airports Authority said air traffic resumed at 7 a.m. local time.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israel's top military spokesman, said “dozens” of warplanes had attacked targets in southern Lebanon. He said air defenses, warships and fighter jets were defending Israeli skies and were involved within the operation.

Hezbollah said its attack included greater than 320 Katyusha rockets against several sites in Israel and a “large number” of drones. The operation targeted “a qualitative Israeli military target to be announced later” in addition to “enemy sites and barracks, as well as Iron Dome (missile defense) platforms.”

In the US, National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said President Joe Biden “is closely monitoring events in Israel and Lebanon.”

“At his direction, senior U.S. officials have been communicating continuously with their Israeli counterparts,” Savett said. “We will continue to support Israel's right to self-defense and remain committed to regional stability.”

In recent weeks, diplomats from the United States and European countries have made quite a few visits to Israel and Lebanon, fearing that the situation could escalate right into a regional war, possibly involving the United States and Iran.

Last week, Israel's defense minister said he would deploy more troops to the Lebanese border in anticipation of possible fighting with Hezbollah.

Military spokesman Hagari said early Sunday that “in an act of self-defense to avert these threats, the (Israeli military) is attacking terror targets in Lebanon from which Hezbollah wanted to launch its attacks on Israeli civilians.”

“We see that Hezbollah is preparing a full-scale attack on Israel, endangering the Lebanese civilian population,” he added, without giving details. “We warn civilians in the areas where Hezbollah operates to immediately leave the danger zone for their own safety,” he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he and his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, were directing the newest operation from the military headquarters in Tel Aviv. Gallant said there was a “special situation” on the house front. Netanyahu's security cabinet is scheduled to fulfill later Sunday morning.

Lebanese media reported attacks within the south of the country, but didn’t immediately provide further details. Video footage appeared on social media that appeared to point out attacks in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah began attacking Israel almost immediately after the war in Gaza began, sparked by Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7. Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire almost day by day, displacing tens of hundreds of individuals on each side of the border. Until Sunday, each side were anxious to avoid open war.

Hezbollah, which fought Israel in the summertime of 2006 and suffered a stalemate, is taken into account much more powerful today than it was then. The US and Israel estimate that Hezbollah has about 150,000 rockets and is able to striking anywhere in Israel. The group has also developed drones that may evade Israel's defenses and precision-guided munitions.

Israel has vowed a devastating response within the event of a full-scale war, which might likely destroy vital civilian infrastructure, particularly in south Beirut and southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah's primary strongholds are positioned. A war would likely displace a whole lot of hundreds of individuals on each side.

Hezbollah is a detailed ally of Iran. Iran also threatened retaliation for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, a senior Hamas leader, in an explosion in Tehran last month. Blame for the blast was widely attributed to Israel, which has not commented on its involvement.

Associated Press author Aamer Madhani in Buellton contributed to this report.

Israel's apparent assassinations of Fuad Shukr, Hezbollah’s top military leaderin Beirut, and Hamas politicians Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehranhave once more raised the specter of a regional war between regional adversaries – a war into which the United States could potentially be drawn.

By targeting these two politicians, the Israeli government showed that it’s willing to risk an escalation of the conflict on recent fronts. And this despite the indisputable fact that some senior defense ministers at best contradictory messages In recent months, there was debate about whether the Israel Defense Forces are sufficiently prepared for a full-scale war in Lebanon or elsewhere after nine months of confrontation within the Gaza Strip.

As a Scholar of Lebanon and IsraelI even have been following recent events within the region with growing concern. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could bet that Iran and Hezbollah haven’t any real appetite for all-out war and would quite pursue a policy of continued attrition against Israel.

If so, it’s a dangerous strategy and any miscalculation could have catastrophic consequences.

Increase the stakes

Shukr was killed in the continuing exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah that began on October 8, a day after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, sparking a violent and sustained response in Gaza. In particular, it was in retaliation for the July 28, 2024 killing of 12 children within the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, for which Hezbollah was blamed.

The Beirut assassination was a daring and dangerous move by Israel, carried out in broad daylight in town despite repeated calls from the United States and other Western countries. to not attack the Lebanese capital.

By carrying out the Beirut operation, Israel has exceeded the bounds of the “rules of the game” in its war of attrition with Hezbollah since October 7. Until now, the Lebanese capital has only been attacked once by Israel, with the January 2, 2024, assassination of Saleh Arourione other Hamas leader, not removed from where Shukr was killed.

At the time, it was assumed that Hezbollah wouldn’t escalate the conflict due to the death of a Palestinian leader, regardless of how vital he might need been.

But there may be little doubt that Hezbollah will react to this recent attack; the questions are how and when and whether the response to it is going to bring the opponents one other step closer to a full-scale war.

An embarrassment for Iran

Haniya’s assassination in Tehran took place within the context of Israel’s declared commitment kill all Hamas leaders was involved within the October 7 massacre, although the country has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack, contrary to usual practice.

Israel According to reports, Qatar guaranteesHaniyeh's host country that it could not attack Hamas leaders inside its borders. Israel also decided to not kill him during Haniyeh's recent visit to Turkeypossibly out of concern about further angering Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Instead, evidently Israel was waiting for the proper opportunity elsewhere to send a transparent message not only to Hamas, but in addition to Israel's foremost regional adversary and Hamas's foremost sponsor, Iran.

The assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran puts the Iranian regime in an embarrassing position. The attack by a foreign country openly violated Iran’s sovereignty at a time when the regime was preparing to Celebrate the appointment of a brand new presidentThe Hamas leader was one in every of the international dignitaries invited to the inauguration.

The attack demonstrates two things: Iran's vulnerability and Israel's ability to perform an attack based on accurate intelligence and superior technology. Either way, it exposes the weaknesses of the Iranian regime.

The last time Iran claimed that its sovereignty had been violated by Israel – within the attack on its embassy in Damascus on April 1, 2024 – it responded by firing lots of of missiles and attack drones at Israel.

Iran could this time use its proxies, including Hezbollah, or respond directly by deploying its own military from its own territory, because it did in April. On July 31, it was reported that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ordered a direct attack.

Israel’s internal political conflicts

I consider that the attacks have destroyed any prospect of an early ceasefire agreement within the Gaza Strip, including the discharge of Israeli hostages.

The killings are also more likely to make the war of attrition between Israel and Hezbollah much more explosive and dangerous.

All parties, including Israel, are apparently aware that a full-scale war is in nobody's interest. This would explain why, despite months of provocations by all parties, there was no such escalation.

But at the identical time, the region is moving ever closer to this possibility; the Middle East is in a phase of maximum fragility.

And all this is going on while Israel is struggling domestically with major challenges for the political system and the rule of lawThe war in Gaza has delivered to the fore forces inside Israeli society that openly seek to vary the political system and challenge each the command structure and the fighting culture of the military.

A recent mob attack on the military police led by right-wing Knesset members Investigation into allegations of torture and sexual assault of Hamas prisoners in Israel is only one example of the cracks developing inside Jewish-Israeli society.

Towards a full-scale war?

Netanyahu, who critics say is understood for his Desire to remain in powerhas built his profession by exploiting internal divisions. His Dependence on right-wing extremist members his government and the indisputable fact that he’s exploiting internal tensions in Israel have only exacerbated divisions.

His decision to authorise the attacks in Beirut and Iran have to be understood within the context of his struggle for political survival.

I consider that every one of Netanyahu's actions, including the prolongation of the war in Gaza, have to be understood on this context. His political survival relies on the support of far-right parties that seek to proceed and expand the war and openly call for a more aggressive stance towards Hezbollah and Iran.

He's also supported by public opinion in Israel, which supports a confrontation with Hezbollah “with full force”, without taking into consideration the indisputable fact that such an motion would likely have devastating consequences for Hezbollah and Lebanon and would exact an unlimited human and infrastructural toll on Israel.

Netanyahu could depend on the indisputable fact that Iran and Hezbollah have to date shown no desire for a full-scale war, although Hezbollah said it is ready.

So far, Israel has shown no desire for a full-scale war on several fronts. But I fear that events resembling the attacks of the previous couple of days could lead on us right into a downward spiral that might be difficult to regulate.