The Israeli Defense Forces on Monday hacked Lebanese radio networks, urging civilians to flee Hezbollah-controlled areas. Israel also likely hacked phone systems, sending texts and recorded messages to residents in half the country.
Arabic news outlet Al Jazeera reported one message was delivered about 8:20am and read: “If you are in a building with Hezbollah weapons, stay away from the village until further notice.”
Reporter Mazen Ibrahim, broadcasting live from Beirut, showed the texts on television. He also repeated what the radio broadcasts warned.
Lebanese citizens took to social media with videos documenting the broadcasts, as reported by the Jewish News Service in a Twitter post, below.
Lebanese social media accounts share videos of the IDF hacking into Lebanese radio stations to warn civilians to evacuate buildings where there are Hezbollah weapons. pic.twitter.com/LQeA8UEUPC
— Jewish News Syndicate (@JNS_org) September 23, 2024
“We ask residents of Lebanese villages to pay attention to the message and warning published by the [Israeli military] and heed them,” Hagari said in a video statement posted on the X platform early on Monday and reported by Al Jazera.
Lebanese Information Minister Ziad Makary was among those who received a recorded message on his cell phone, reported the state-run National News Agency.
“What we don’t know is how Israel got these details of people — cellphone numbers, locations. … Is it because of data leaks or because Israel has hacked into Lebanon’s telecoms infrastructure?” Ibrahim said.
The warnings come as Israel targeted Hezbollah missile launchers in precision strikes, including one that took out a launcher Hezbollah placed next to an Italian hospital.
The messages have worked. Social media posts on Twitter and Facebook show miles of gridlock leading north out of Southern Lebanon and the Hezbollah strongholds in southern Beirut suburbs.
🔴UPDATE: Roads leading from south to north Lebanon are gridlocked as Lebanese civilians follow Israel’s instruction to leave buildings where Hezbollah has stored weapons. pic.twitter.com/kJcgZttGze
— Jewish News Syndicate (@JNS_org) September 23, 2024
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said earlier on Monday that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was trying to “mitigate the harm to Lebanese civilians as much as possible,” according to CNN.
According to JNS, as of Monday afternoon, the “Israel Air Force had attacked more than 800 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.”
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice