Hezbollah and Israel have been trading fire across the southern Lebanese border for nearly a year amid the ongoing war in Gaza. The fighting has forced more than 160,000 people out of their homes on both sides of the border and Israeli officials say their objective is to achieve enough security that displaced Israelis can return.
Last Tuesday, Hezbollah pagers and handheld radios mysteriously exploded, killing more than three dozen people — two of whom were children — and injuring about 3,000 with ties to Hezbollah operations.
The militant group accused Israel of the communication-devices-turned-bombs, but Israel denied any involvement. However, US officials told The New York Times that Israel hid explosive material within Taiwanese-made pagers imported into Lebanon, with a switch that could remotely detonate them.