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israel's army radio announced on september 18 that its elite 98th division would be redeployed from gaza to the northern front, just one day after pager explosions occurred across lebanon.

the division had originally planned to continue fighting in the gaza strip, but on the last day it decided to change course to the north.

major general ori goldin, commander of the israeli army's northern command, said on september 18 that israel is "determined" to escalate its operations against lebanon.

israelreservists from the army's 179th brigade conducted an exercise wednesday, following another drill earlier this week designed to simulate fighting in lebanon.

according to al-monitor, on september 17, israel launched a terrorist attack on lebanon because tel aviv received intelligence that hezbollah members found that their pagers had been tampered with, so israel carried out the attack in advance.

attack ahead of schedule

the media reported on september 18 that two members of hezbollah discovered that the pagers used in the attack had been hacked, and israel decided to carry out the attack in advance after receiving intelligence about this discovery.

al-monitor cited sources as saying that thousands of pagers were rigged with explosives before being delivered to hezbollah. they added that the israeli plan was to detonate the pagers in the event of an all-out war between hezbollah and the israeli army.

the report added that israel's terrorist attacks were kept secret even from washington.

axios also reported wednesday that the strike was brought forward because israel feared hezbollah had discovered the plan.

"this is a take it or lose it moment," a u.s. official told axios.

“israeli intelligence planned to use the bomb-laden pagers it managed to plant in hezbollah’s ranks as a surprise start to an all-out war in an attempt to weaken hezbollah,” axios reported, citing an israeli official with knowledge of the matter.

the report went on to say that the israeli defense establishment decided to carry out the terrorist attack now rather than risk being discovered.

“minutes before pagers began exploding over lebanon on tuesday afternoon local time, [israeli defense minister yoav] galant called u.s. defense secretary lloyd austin to tell him of an impending israeli operation in lebanon but declined to give any specific details,” axios said.

sky news arabia cited "exclusive sources" on tuesday as saying that israel's "mossad succeeded in intercepting hezbollah's communications equipment before it was delivered to the group," adding that israeli agents "implanted large amounts of the explosive substance pentaerythritol tetranitrate (petn) in the devices' batteries, which detonated by raising the battery's temperature."

reuters cited a senior lebanese security source on wednesday as saying israel's mossad planted explosives in 5,000 pagers before they arrived in lebanon.

"as information comes in about the pager explosion in lebanon, it now looks more likely that this was an implanted explosive than a hack," former nsa contractor and whistleblower edward snowden wrote via x. "why? too many sustained, very serious injuries. if it was an overheated battery explosion, you would have seen many more small fires and misfires."

hezbollah's reaction

on september 18, hezbollah vowed that its operations against israel would proceed normally, and in a statement on september 18, it reiterated its vow to respond to large-scale israeli terrorist attacks.

the hezbollah statement said the lebanese resistance "will continue its sacred actions today as in the past in support ofgaza, the people of gaza and the resistance, and in defence of lebanon, its people and sovereignty”.

"this path is continuous and has nothing to do with the difficult reckoning that must await the criminal enemy after the massacre of our people, our families and our mujahideen in lebanon on tuesday. it is another reckoning, god willing," it added. "what happened yesterday will strengthen our resolve and determination to continue on the path of jihad and resistance."