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Transcript/ScriptISRAEL LEBANON EXPLODING PAGERS
HEADLINE: Hezbollah threatens revenge for Pager Explosions that killed 12 and wounded thousands
TEASER: Israel has not commented but is widely believed to be behind the attacks
PUBLISHED: 9/18/24, 1:00 pm
BYLINE: Linda Gradstein
DATELINE: Jerusalem
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: LR, Baragona
VIDEO SOURCES: VOA Original, AFP
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO _X_
TRT: 2:21
VID APPROVED BY: Baragona
TYPE: TV/R
EDITOR NOTES: TO BE PRODUCED BY RICARDO MARQUINA. Email edits to lindagradstein@gmail.com & marquina.ricardo@gmail.com ))
((INTRO)) [[Lebanese media report that at least three people were killed and dozens wounded in a second wave of explosions targeting the militant group Hezbollah. More electronic communications devices detonated Wednesday after exploding pagers killed at least 12 people and wounded almost 3,000 on Tuesday. Hezbollah has vowed revenge. Linda Gradstein reports for VOA from Jerusalem.]]
((Video Cue: Videos of explosions and wounded people (AFP has a lot) https://www.afpforum.com/AFPForum/Search/Results.aspx?pn=1&smd=4&mui=4&thi=56200&lng=&fto=4&q=7512894164488504493_0&dlg=en#pn=1&smd=4&mui=4&q=7512894164488504493_0&thi=56200&lng=&fto=4 https://www.afpforum.com/AFPForum/Search/Results.aspx?pn=1&smd=4&mui=4&thi=56200&lng=&fto=4&q=7512894164488504493_0&dlg=en#pn=1&smd=4&mui=4&q=7512894164488504493_0&thi=56200&lng=&fto=4 ))
((NARRATOR))
Although Israel has not taken responsibility for the exploding pager attack Tuesday, it is widely blamed. Israeli security experts say the explosives were implanted into the pagers as they were manufactured.
((Radio Cue: Eyal Pinko is a former Israeli intelligence official.))
((Eyal Pinko, Former Israeli Intelligence Officer – MALE ENGLISH))
((credit: Jerusalem Press Club))
“In order to get these kinds of wounds you need to have one to two grams of explosives, which is not a big technological issue. You just need to open the beeper to put a not-sensitive explosive, that it won’t operate in the time that you don’t want it to, and a small operational card that can get commands from the outside. If we all remember how a beeper is working, you just send some kind of message from a communications tower, and it spreads all over.”
((Video Cue: Apollo Gold company from AFP https://www.afpforum.com/AFPForum/Search/Results.aspx?pn=1&smd=4&mui=4&thi=56200&lng=&fto=4&q=7512894164488504493_0&dlg=en#pn=1&smd=4&mui=4&q=7512894164488504493_0&thi=56200&lng=&fto=4 ))
((NARRATOR))
Hezbollah ordered the pagers from a Taiwanese company called Gold Apollo.
A representative of the company said the pagers had actually been made by BAC, a Hungarian manufacturer.
Pinko said planning technologically complex operations like these takes a long time.
((Eyal Pinko, Former Israeli Intelligence Officer – MALE ENGLISH))
“This was an intelligence operation that was very well planned for more than one and a half years.”
((NARRATOR))
Israel is bracing for promised retaliation by Hezbollah, and several airlines cancelled flights.
But there was no sense of panic in the country and schools and workplaces were open as usual.
Israeli analysts warn that a direct conflict between Israel and Hezbollah would likely escalate to a regional war, and they say Israel would call for U.S. support.
((Courtesy: MediaCentral))
[[Radio Cue: Orna Mizrahi is a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.]]
((Orna Mizrahi, Institute for National Security Studies – FEMALE ENGLISH))
((credit MediaCentral))
((TRIM BYTE))
“I suppose we are going to see more attacks from Iraq, Houthis, even direct attacks from Iran, and maybe this time also from Syria. So, it’s going to be a full-scale war, and we need the Americans beside us.”
((Video Cue: Shots of Amos Hochstein meeting Israeli and Lebanese officials, AFP))
((NARRATOR))
U.S. officials say they did not know about the alleged Israeli operation in advance and have been working to find a diplomatic way out of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israel says it just wants its 60,000 evacuated residents to be able to return to their homes near the Lebanese border.
((Linda Gradstein, VOA News, Jerusalem))
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