A series of deadly attacks struck Lebanon, with communication device explosions occurring across Lebanon on Tuesday, followed by similar blasts on Wednesday. According to Lebanon's Health Ministry, 37 people were killed, and over 3,000 were injured. In the aftermath, social media was flooded with misinformation regarding the attacks. Misbar's team worked closely to debunk false claims and misleading media shared concerning the attacks.
Deadly Twin Attacks Using Communication Devices Claim 37 Lives in Lebanon
On Tuesday and Wednesday, at least 37 people were killed in communication device explosions, of whom were Hezbollah members, according to death notices posted by the group. Two of the victims were children, as reported by Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Among the dead and over 3,000 injured, many have been left blinded or maimed.
Hezbollah has placed the blame on Israel, though Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the attacks. However, a U.S. official, speaking anonymously to NPR, confirmed that Israel had notified Washington of its involvement in Tuesday’s strikes.
In a speech on Thursday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah acknowledged the group had suffered an "unprecedented" blow, stating that the twin attacks had "crossed all red lines" and promising a "reckoning." Nasrallah defiantly claimed, "The goal was to hit the structure of the resistance and this did not happen." He further vowed to continue retaliatory strikes against Israel.
Netizens Exploit Device Explosions in Lebanon to Spread Misinformation
Social media was flooded with misinformation and baseless claims following the recent explosions in Lebanon caused by communication devices. Misbar's investigative team worked tirelessly to debunk the widespread false information online and reveal its validity.
Social media users widely circulated a photo allegedly showing a blown-up laptop, claiming it was linked to the recent explosions in Lebanon.
Misbar’s investigative team conducted a thorough reverse image search and discovered that the photo was much older than suggested. In fact, the photo had been featured in a three-year-old article about worst-case scenarios faced by tech professionals on the job.
Social media was abuzz with a photo of an exploded iPhone, with claims that the Apple device had detonated during Wednesday’s wave of electronic device explosions in Lebanon. The widely circulated image sparked fear among iPhone users, reaching hundreds of thousands online.
Misbar’s team traced the original photo back to March 2021 and found it linked to an incident in Egypt where an iPhone exploded, injuring a child at the time.
Also, social media users shared an image claiming to show the explosion of solar panels in Lebanon.
Misbar's investigation revealed that the photo is old, originally uploaded on July 21, 2023, along with an article on the "Lebanon News" website discussing the rise in solar panel fire incidents and related components like inverters and batteries.
In addition, netizens widely circulated a claim that the pager attack in Lebanon was carried out using Motorola pagers and detonated by Israelis.
While it is true that U.S.-based Motorola has a long history of providing electronic devices to support the Israeli occupation, Misbar’s investigative team clarified in a blog that the exploding pagers in Lebanon were not linked to Motorola. The controversy surrounding the origin of the pagers remains unresolved.
Amid the recent pager and walkie-talkie explosions in Lebanon, social media users circulated a video, attempting to provoke tension between Gulf countries and Lebanon. The video falsely claimed to feature a newly released song titled "Tebijerni," celebrating the attack on Hezbollah, allegedly from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Misbar's investigation found that the song is not recent. Misbar's team searched the lyrics and found that "Tebijerni" was uploaded to YouTube in July 2020 by Saudi artist Saleh Khairi, with sources indicating the song actually dates back to the nineties.
Besides, social media users circulated a claim that NBC News reported Lebanese Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah had requested to leave Lebanon for an unknown destination following the bombing of Hezbollah's pagers on Tuesday.
Misbar investigated the claim and found it to be false. The news was fabricated, and NBC News never reported such a story.
Amid the wave of misinformation following the attacks in Lebanon, social media users circulated a video claiming to show Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrating after the recent bombing of Hezbollah members' pagers.
Misbar's team found that the video is outdated; Netanyahu originally posted it on TikTok in March 2021 with the caption, "Did you recognize the song?"
Following the twin attacks on devices in Lebanon, social media users widely circulated a video claiming to show Israeli fighter jets launching airstrikes on Hezbollah targets.
Misbar's investigative team found the video to be old, dating back to February 2024. The original video was uploaded to AlHadth's YouTube channel, depicting Israeli raids on Sidon, Lebanon.
45 Killed in Israeli Strike on Suburb in Lebanon’s Beirut
In the aftermath of the communication devices attack in Lebanon, Israeli strikes targeted two buildings in the Dahiya district of Beirut during rush hour on Friday. According to Lebanese authorities, the death toll from the airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs has risen to 45, including three children and seven women.
Lebanon’s health ministry updated the earlier toll of 38 on Sunday, confirming that the three children killed were aged four, six, and ten. Emergency personnel are still searching for 17 people believed to be trapped under the rubble.
Israel’s military stated that it conducted a “targeted strike” against senior members of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Forces in the Beirut suburb. An Israeli military spokesperson reported on Saturday that “at least 16 Hezbollah militants” were killed in the attack. Hezbollah confirmed that two of its top commanders, Ibrahim Aqil and Ahmad Mahmoud Wahabi, were among the deceased, along with 12 other members.
Recent Hezbollah-Israel Reciprocal Attacks
The Israeli military has launched airstrikes on hundreds of targets in southern Lebanon, coinciding with Hezbollah's most extensive rocket attacks into Israel since the onset of the Gaza war.
The fighting intensified overnight, with Israel conducting a series of attacks targeting Hezbollah missile launchers throughout southern Lebanon. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least one person was killed and another was injured in the strikes.
In retaliation, Hezbollah launched four rocket barrages early Sunday morning, firing more than 140 rockets and drones into Israel’s Jezreel Valley. Fresh clashes erupted, with the IOF reporting that hundreds of rockets were fired from Lebanon, some landing near the northern city of Haifa. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service reported treating four individuals for shrapnel wounds.
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Motorola Company Falsely Blamed as Controversy Grows Over Origin of Exploding Pagers in Lebanon
Israel Executed A Covert Pager Attack on Hezbollah Amid Fears of Plot Discovery
