September 18, 2024, Lebanon experienced its deadliest attack since Israel started its campaign against Hellobazh. According to reporting by the New York Times, Hezbollah is classified as a “Shiite Muslim militant group formed in the 1980s during the chaos of Lebanon’s long civil war.” Israel executed an attack on Hellobazh militants to target their primary form of communication, pagers and walkie-talkies. These pagers were confirmed to be tampered with according to unidentified officials familiar with the incident, leading to explosions. According to reporting by The New York Post, “The exploding pagers that wounded thousands of Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon were reportedly detonated by a message impersonating the leaders of the recognized terrorist group.” This led to the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. As of the writing of this article, no one has officially claimed responsibility for the attack.
After the incident that killed 39 people and wounded 3,000 including 12 children, it became clear that even small, everyday communication tools could be turned into a deadly weapon in the wrong hands. This led to heightened concerns about the potential for misusing technology, especially as it has become so integrated into our daily lives for essential functions like payments and communication. As an example, in 2016, Marriott Hotel paid up to 52 million dollars to resolve a state and federal claim related to the major data breach caused by hackers. It is estimated that more than 300 million guests had their credit card information stolen. Once again, this serves as an example of technology being co-opted to cause massive consequences.
The scale and devastation of the Lebanon bombing were truly frightening. These small devices caused massive destruction, highlighting the need for awareness surrounding technological warfare. Even Dubai Airlines companies, such as the United Emirates, instituted a policy that prohibited “All passengers traveling on flights to, from, or via Dubai are prohibited from transporting pagers and walkie-talkies in checked or cabin luggage.”
Historically, Lebanon has faced numerous violent incidents, including conflicts with Israel and Palestine. However, the Lebanon bombing stood out as one of the deadliest attacks the country had dealt with since the war between Israel and Hezbollah. The bombing resulted in widespread devastation in that part of Lebanon.
The Lebanon bombing has had a profound impact on how society views and now perceives communication devices and technology in general. It has sparked concerns about the dangers of these tools falling into the wrong hands and whether our technological advancements have come at the cost of overlooking the potential for misuse and catastrophic consequences. It is safe to say that this incident has raised many questions about whether humanity can use technology responsibly. This incident has emphasized that technology has the potential to be a greater threat to society than we ever thought. This raises worries that other regions and countries may copy this concept and develop even more lethal weapons that contradict moral and ethical boundaries, potentially leading to further loss of life in the future.
