The horror of Israel’s exploding pagers and walkie-talkies

The exploding pagers were followed by exploding walkie-talkies. Viewed dispassionately, the attacks, attributed to Israel, using target low-tech communications were a masterful stroke in military strategy.?

In one fell swoop, it struck Hezbollah operatives and key allies. Over 3,000 mostly Hezbollah fighters have been wounded and dozens killed.

It created a fog of war by cutting off a key channel of communications within Hezbollah, providing Israel cover for any subsequent military operation.

And it forced the remaining Hezbollah leaders to meet in person, raising the risk of an Israeli military strike finishing them off. ??

The exploding pagers also exposed to the global community Iran’s deep involvement in Hezbollah after its ambassador was injured, at a time of falling approval of Israel’s war against its neighbours.

But as such assaults grow in scope and frequently – exploding pagers, walkie-talkies and air strikes – more might question whether such flagrant attacks are illegal military actions, even acts of terror. This risks eroding global support for Israel’s actions in the Middle East.?

A reckoning may soon come for Israel. Knowing this, Taiwanese makers of the pager brand Gold Apollo immediately denied they had produced those used in the attacks. They didn’t want blood on their hands. “The product wasn’t ours,” they said.

Most of the world can agree Israel had a right to self-defence after Oct 7 but does this include the execution of Hamas’ allies unilaterally – with actions potentially not sanctioned by international law? The use of such micro bombs should be a wake-up call.

Meanwhile, read my picks of the week below to get yours started.

— Suling Lin , Senior columnist

Has Singapore’s thrift store scene lost its way?

By Christine Chiu

Ironically, some consumers said the thrifting culture’s popularity these days is now contributing to overconsumption.

The looming danger of a massive chip glut?

By Vikram Khanna

A global wave of subsidies by countries trying to become chipmakers could lead to overcapacity that will hurt the semiconductor industry. ?

Opposition over Nippon Steel’s bid to buy US Steel casts pall on US-Japan ties

By Walter Sim and Lin Suling

The United States is obstructing a bid by Japan’s Nippon Steel to acquire US Steel on the grounds of “national security”, employing language often reserved for their common perceived threat: China. ?

In Shenzhen, the fatal stabbing of a Japanese schoolboy is quietly mourned

By Joyce ZK Lim ?

Attacks on foreigners have nonetheless stoked fears about growing anti-foreigner and anti-Japanese sentiments, which could be spilling over from online vitriol into physical violence. ?

It starts with a hot bath: How an ‘art doctor’ conserves a Singapore ink masterpiece?

By Shawn Hoo and Ng Sor Luan ?

A behind-the-scenes look at the conservation process of Nanyang artist Chen Wen Hsi’s Gibbons, ahead of its display at the National Gallery Singapore in December. ?