VFI News Thousands of Pagers Exploded in Lebanon and Syria; More than 3,500 Injured, At Least 48 Killed

In this week's edition of VFI News, Israel strikes a hammer blow to Hezbollah with a series of covert operations that have rocked the Middle East.

Learn how elite IDF commandos executed a daring raid on an underground Iranian missile factory in Syria, and discover the shocking story behind the exploding pagers that crippled Hezbollah’s communication network in Lebanon.

As tensions rise, Israel shifts its focus to the northern border, preparing for the next phase of the war against Hezbollah.

Plus, get insights on the economic challenges facing Israeli civilians amid the ongoing conflict. Watch now to understand how Israel’s strategic victories are shaping the future of the region.

#pagers #hezbollah #hezbollahvsisrael #israelnews

Amid the sound of jets flying overhead, tensions are rising between Israel and Lebanon. Could this signal the start of a new conflict?

Stay tuned as we uncover the latest developments and potential escalation in the region.

#israelnews #lebanon #hezbollah

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cB-LO0itB64

19 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members were killed after their pagers exploded in Deir ez-Zur in eastern Syria, Saudi media reported on Wednesday afternoon, September 18. 

An additional 150 IRCG members were also wounded in the explosions according to the same Saudi news source. The report came a day after around 4,000 Hezbollah members also had their pagers exploded in an attack reportedly attributed to Israel. Foreign reports attribute the attack to the Mossad and IDF. 

A series of explosions were reported in the Dahieh area of Beirut on Tuesday afternoon, leaving at least nine dead and over 3,000 injured. Dahieh is known as a Hezbollah stronghold. 

A source in Hezbollah said that some of the terrorists felt that their device was getting hot and they threw it away before it exploded. It was also reported that some devices received a message before exploding.

British media reported that Hezbollah only began using the beeper devices within the last few months. Saudi media reported similarly and noted that among the injured are senior Hezbollah commanders and their aides. 

Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani was also wounded in the attack, Iranian state media reported, and according to American media, he has lost an eye. (JPost / VFI News)

“The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God.” - Psalm 9:17

The articles included in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Vision for Israel. We try to provide accurate reporting on news pertinent to Israel, the Middle East, the diaspora, and Jewish issues around the world—and we hope that you find it both informative and useful for intercessory prayer.

A fresh wave of explosions ripped across Lebanon on Wednesday afternoon, September 18, appearing to mainly target handheld radios used by Hezbollah members, a day after thousands were wounded when their pagers spontaneously exploded. 

At least 20 people were killed and 450 were wounded in Wednesday’s second wave of blasts, according to Lebanese officials. An Israeli report said Jerusalem believes the death toll to be higher than reported, with Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit hit hard by the two days of attacks. 

Explosions were reported Wednesday in phones, solar energy systems and fingerprint reading devices used by the group. At least one of the blasts took place at a funeral organized by Hezbollah for some of the 12 people killed in the pager explosion attack on Tuesday. 

Israeli security officials on Wednesday said that “The strategic purpose was deterrence. Never, and in any country, have so many terrorists been hit in one minute. This is about 4,000 targeted assassinations. If we wanted to kill them, we could, but deterrence is stronger.” (TOI/ VFI News)

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” - 2 Peter 3:9

Israel reportedly caused thousands of Hezbollah terror group pagers to explode on Tuesday, September 18, killing at least nine people and wounding nearly 3,000, amid fears that Hezbollah was about to uncover that the devices had been tampered with, according to Wednesday reports. 

Israeli intelligence services originally wanted to detonate the pagers as an opening blow in an all-out war against Hezbollah, Israeli media reported, citing American and Israeli officials. 

They chose to act early, however, when a Hezbollah member became suspicious of the devices and planned to alert his superiors, American-based media reported. Just days earlier, a different Hezbollah member had come to suspect the devices had been tampered with, and then he was killed, the same news outlet said. 

Upon learning of the suspicions, Israeli leaders reportedly considered launching an immediate full-scale war in order to retain the pager attack as an opening blow. They also considered leaving things as they were, even at the risk of the operation being compromised, according to the report. 

“The Mossad injected a board inside of the device that has explosive material that receives a code. It’s very hard to detect it through any means. Even with any device or scanner,” a senior Lebanese security source told British media. The source said 3,000 of the pagers exploded when a coded message was sent to them, simultaneously activating the explosives. (TOI /VFI News) 

“For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.” - Psalm 1:6

Taiwan and Hungary on Wednesday, September 18, denied making pagers that exploded the previous day while being used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon. 

Renowned American media, citing American and other anonymous officials, reported that Israel had inserted explosive material into a shipment of pagers from Taiwan’s Gold Apollo, though it was not clear where and when the tampering took place. 

Taiwanese prosecutors launched an investigation. Gold Apollo denied producing the devices and instead pointed the finger at its Budapest-based partner BAC Consulting KFT. 

But Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said the company “is a trading intermediary, with no manufacturing or operational site in Hungary.” “The referenced devices have never been in Hungary,” Kovacs stated on X, formerly Twitter. 

Earlier on Wednesday, Gold Apollo head Hsu Ching-kuang said the pagers were “100 percent not” made in Taiwan. “They are not our products from beginning to end. How can we produce products that are not ours?” Hsu told reporters in Taipei. (TOI / VFI News) 

“Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.” - John 3:20

This psalm is a celebration of God's constant and continued protection of His people. Though we may slumber and rest, our God is constantly vigilant and watching over us. We must trust Him as our protector, and rely on Him alone for our reassurance. Though worldly entities may seem tempting, the only stronghold that is always diligent is God's love.

IDF fighter jets struck hundreds of rockets that were ready for immediate launch into Israeli territory, the IDF announced on Thursday night, September 19. 

Starting on Thursday afternoon, a total of about 100 rocket launchers and other military infrastructure were attacked, including about 1,000 rockets that were ready for immediate launch, the IDF said. Additionally, the IDF targeted a weapons storage facility and struck in the area of Naqoura.

Three Lebanese security officials told British media that these were “the heaviest aerial strikes since the conflict began in October.” According to reports in Lebanese media, cited in Israeli media, the number of attacks ranged from about fifty to seventy throughout Lebanon in only about twenty minutes. 

Hezbollah threatened to respond, with leader Hassan Nasrallah live streaming a speech on Thursday in which he goaded Israel, daring it to attack. “We are waiting for you to enter Lebanese territory. We are waiting for your tanks and will see this as a historic opportunity.” 

The IDF announced that over the weekend it will carry out activities in all training areas in the north. It added: “The entry into the training areas is prohibited, is dangerous, and harms the forces’ operations. In addition, sounds of gunshots and explosions may be heard in the nearby communities.” (JPost/VFI News)

“Lord, we pray for all our soldiers who are bravely risking their lives daily to ensure our safety. We pray that You strengthen them, and help them defend Your children and thwart any attacks from the enemy. We pray in Yeshua’s name that this will once again become a land of peace, love and joyful co-existence. We thank You for Your love, protection, presence and for being who You are. We are extremely grateful for everything You do for us and the love and mercy You display every day.”

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Wednesday, September 18, demanding that Israel entirely pull out of Palestinian areas within a year, and called for an embargo on arms that Israel might use in those areas. 

The Foreign Ministry panned the decision as “cynical international politics” that would encourage terrorism and harm the chances for peace. The resolution called for Israel to “end without delay its unlawful presence” in “Occupied Palestinian Territory” within 12 months, including all soldiers and civilians. 

The resolution welcomed a July ruling by the International Court of Justice that said Israel’s control of Palestinian territories and settlements is illegal and should be withdrawn. 

The UN also called on states to “take steps towards ceasing the importation of any products originating in the Israeli settlements, as well as the provision or transfer of arms, munitions and related equipment to Israel… where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that they may be used in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.” 

The resolution was sponsored by the “State of Palestine” and 29 other countries, mostly Muslim nations. Some 124 countries supported the measure, 14 opposed it, and 43 abstained. Israel, the US, Czechia, and Argentina were the largest countries opposing, along with Pacific island nations. Paraguay and Malawi also opposed the measure. (TOI / VFI News)

“Dear God, we pray that You end terrorism in our region and allow us and all civilians living in our country to rebuild our lives and communities. Long-term peace is our goal and we hope that You help us establish it. We pray in Yeshua’s name that You comfort everyone who is traumatized and has lost loved ones during the war. You are always close to us and we just have to lean on You and receive Your comfort. We pray that all terrorist activities and hostilities will end very soon and that our hostages will also be returned. We know that by Your Grace everything is possible and we thank You for all You have done for us so far, for being close to us, for being our rock, fortress and shield.”

US Vice President Kamala Harris said Tuesday, September 17, that she supports President Joe Biden’s decision in May to withhold a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs from Israel over concerns the IDF would use them in densely populated areas of Gaza. 

“One of the things that we have done that I’m entirely supportive of is the pause that we’ve put on the 2,000-pound bombs,” Harris said in an onstage interview at a National Association of Black Journalists event, during which she was repeatedly pressed on why the US isn’t using more leverage against Israel to end the war in Gaza. 

A delivery of 1,700 500-pound bombs — part of the shipment of the 2,000-pound bombs — was also withheld until July, with Biden threatening to freeze additional offensive weaponry if Israel launched a major military offensive in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians were sheltering at the time. 

Further, although German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has reaffirmed his military support for Israel repeatedly, the German Federal Security Council, chaired by Scholz, has not approved arms exports to Israel for months, according to a media report. 

According to the report, no approvals for arms exports to Israel have been granted since March. However, Scholz made public declarations of his solidarity with Israel and promised continued military aid at the end of July. (TOI / VFI News)

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., accused the New York Times of spreading Hamas propaganda after the paper quoted Khaled Meshal, one of the terror group’s most senior officials, in a new report Tuesday, September 17.

The Times story, headlined “Hamas is surviving war in Israel. Now it hopes to thrive in Gaza again,” centers around an interview with Meshal, who insisted Hamas “is winning the war and will play a decisive role in Gaza’s future” despite Israel’s commitment to eradicate the terror group responsible for killing 1,200 people on October 7.

The Times interviewed Meshal for two-hours in his living room in Doha, Qatar, where he “offered rare insights into the thinking of Hamas officials,” the report reads. “In the interview, Mr. Meshal made clear that Hamas officials are not in a rush to conclude a cease-fire with Israel at any price, and will not give up on their main demands for an end to the war and an Israeli withdrawal,” the Times wrote.

Fetterman posted a screenshot of the story's headline on X, rebuking the outlet for giving one of Hamas’ most senior leaders a platform to promote the group’s message. “No idea why NYT would platform this propaganda from a terrorist. Undoubtedly, Israel will hold him accountable,” the lawmaker wrote.

“Hamas is no different than WWII Nazis and I fully support Israel’s commitment to neutralize them,” he added. (FN /VFI News)

“Our Heavenly Father, we are saddened to see the wickedness that prevails in today’s world and we pray in Yeshua’s name for the elimination of this wickedness, according to Your perfect Will. Yeshua has already warned us that in this world we will have trouble, but we should take heart because He has overcome the world and now we can rest in His peace. We call upon these words and ask to be comforted by You. We pray for our children and the next generation of Israelis to not have to face such terror in the land You have given us.”

The suggestions, opinions, and scripture references made by VFI News writers and editors are based on the best information received.

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