Thousands of people are fleeing southern Lebanon as the ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah show no signs of slowing down.

The Israeli military has been carrying out relentless airstrikes across the region, with devastating effects. According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, at least 492 people, including 35 children, have been killed in a single day of Israeli attacks, with over 1,600 more wounded.

In retaliation, Hezbollah launched a barrage of missiles targeting Israeli airbases. While Israel claims to have intercepted many of these projectiles, the conflict is rapidly escalating, with fears that it could spread throughout the region.

Turkey has already warned that Israel’s continued offensive on Lebanon could destabilize the entire Middle East.

The situation is alarming for civilians caught in the crossfire with the Israeli military issuing evacuation orders for those living in southern Lebanon, forcing tens of thousands to leave their homes with little time to prepare.

Airstrikes are being reported everywhere, even along the main highway linking southern Lebanon to Beirut, making it hard for people to find safe passage.

Lebanon Caught In The Cross Fire

The Lebanese government, already labouring with economic collapse and near-bankruptcy, is scrambling to open shelters in schools to accommodate the displaced.

However, with 110,000 people already displaced over the past 11 months of fighting, there are concerns that the country’s fragile infrastructure will be overwhelmed.

More than 150,000 people who live near the border are in immediate danger, and many have fled their homes with no clear idea of when they might return.

Meanwhile, Israel claims to have bombed Hezbollah missile launchers targeting its Megiddo Airfield and struck several Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.

Hence, with both sides continuing to escalate their attacks, the possibility of a ceasefire seems distant despite calls for de-escalation from world leaders and the United Nations.

United States Issues A Warning

The United States has voiced significant concerns over the recent actions taken by Israel in the escalating conflict with Hezbollah.

US officials have strongly opposed the idea put forward by Israel, which suggests that increasing military aggression—”escalating to de-escalate”—is a viable strategy.

In particular, the US is alarmed by Israel’s military buildup along the southern Lebanon border, which many see as a precursor to a potential ground invasion; from Washington’s perspective, this move is counterproductive and will likely inflame tensions rather than ease them.

President Joe Biden has been actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation. In a meeting with the president of the United Arab Emirates, Biden reiterated that his team is working tirelessly, around the clock, to de-escalate the situation.

The US government simply does not believe that Israel’s actions in Lebanon will lead to a broader reduction in hostilities across the region.

In light of the growing tension, the US is sending additional forces to the Middle East while there are no specifics on the size or role of these reinforcements, it is clear that the US is deeply worried about the developments over the last few days.

Has Israel Hacked Lebanon’s Telecommunications Network?

In a parallel concern, questions are being raised over whether Israel has hacked into Lebanon’s telecommunications networks.

Israeli military officials have warned residents of southern Lebanon and parts of Beirut to evacuate their homes, which has led to fears of a large-scale bombing campaign that could escalate into full-scale war.

The method by which these warnings were delivered has sparked concerns that Israel may have gained unauthorized access to Lebanon’s telecom systems.

Residents in southern Lebanon and some Beirut neighborhoods began receiving messages and phone calls early Monday, instructing them to leave areas associated with Hezbollah. These calls and messages appeared to come from Lebanese phone numbers, further raising suspicions.

Some individuals reported receiving recorded calls on their mobile phones or landlines, while others received text messages.

According to reports, these messages were uniform, with one example reading: “If you are in a building with Hezbollah weapons, stay away from the village until further notice.”

In addition to the phone warnings, radio broadcasts were reportedly hacked to deliver similar messages.

Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed the warnings, stating in a video posted on the X platform that residents of Lebanese villages should pay attention to the messages and heed the warnings issued by the Israeli military.

However, a significant question remains unanswered— How did Israel gain access to the private contact details of Lebanese residents?

Some speculate that this could be the result of a data leak, while others suspect that Israel has hacked into Lebanon’s telecommunications infrastructure.

This isn’t the first time such concerns have been raised, as Israel has employed similar tactics in Gaza, utilizing advanced technology to deliver messages directly to individuals in conflict zones.

This latest development shows Israel’s technological superiority over Lebanon and stresses the extent to which cyber warfare may be playing a role in the broader conflict.

However, the full scope of how these details were obtained remains unclear, fueling concerns about privacy, security, and the potential for further escalation in the region.

However, are these warnings more than just alerts?

Israel claims that its military issues warnings before bombing operations to reduce civilian casualties, a practice it has also defended during its ongoing campaign in Gaza. However, the reality on the ground often contradicts this claim.

In many cases, no warnings were given before bombs hit residential buildings, and there have been instances where fleeing civilians in Gaza were targeted by Israeli forces.

The warnings, which can be delivered through text messages, phone calls, or leaflets dropped from planes, serve a dual purpose.

Experts argue that while these alerts aim to minimize casualties, they also function as a form of psychological warfare by reminding civilians that Israel knows their exact locations, these warnings reinforce the extensive reach of Israel’s security apparatus.

The same precision used to send these warnings also enables Israel to accurately target its missile strikes. On Monday, Lebanon experienced this same pattern, one that Gaza has become all too familiar with.

How did Israel infiltrate Lebanese telecom networks?

Last week, a separate incident raised alarms about Israel’s intelligence capabilities.

At least 37 people died, and nearly 3,000 were injured, after pagers and walkie-talkies, believed to be used by Hezbollah members, exploded.

While Israel did not officially claim responsibility, most experts believe Israel was behind the attacks. They suspect that explosives were planted in these devices months earlier, a clear display of Israel’s ability to preemptively strike its enemies.

What’s even more concerning is Israel’s apparent access to real-time information on civilians in Lebanon.

The ability to send targeted warnings to individuals in specific areas suggests that Israel’s intelligence reach extends beyond Hezbollah and into the broader Lebanese population.

Risk and conflict analyst Elijah Magnier pointed out that Israel has likely been infiltrating Lebanese networks long before the current conflict escalated.

According to Magnier, Israel’s intelligence agencies, particularly Mossad, have access to landlines, car plate numbers, and mobile phones across southern Lebanon. This access allows them to communicate with individuals as easily as they do in Gaza or the West Bank.

Magnier also stressed Israel’s use of advanced spyware and surveillance technology, enabling it to map out who lives where, what phone numbers they use, and even who frequents their homes. Spies can gather thousands of IP addresses in towns and cities simply by driving through the streets with sophisticated equipment.

When Israel detects an unusually high concentration of phones in one area, it can infer that something significant—like a Hezbollah meeting—is taking place and respond with missile strikes.

This capability demonstrates not just military strength but a deep technological and intelligence advantage that Israel wields in its ongoing conflicts across the region.

Has Israel issued such warnings before?

Yes, Israel has previously issued warnings to Lebanese civilians, similar to those seen in the current conflict.

During this war, Israel has dropped pamphlets warning communities along Lebanon’s border about impending bombing campaigns. However, this is not the first time Israel has been accused of using such tactics.

In 2018, Amal Mudallali, Lebanon’s permanent representative to the United Nations, accused Israel of hacking into Lebanese telecommunications networks.

Mudallali reported that Israeli forces had used hacked mobile lines to send recorded messages to civilians in the village of Kafr Kila, warning them of imminent explosions during heightened tensions between Hezbollah and Israel.

She described this as a serious violation of the security, dignity, and privacy of Lebanese citizens, calling for the UN Security Council to condemn Israel’s “hostile” actions.

Israel’s capabilities extend beyond warnings.

It is widely known for its expertise in breaking into electronic devices using advanced spyware, such as the Pegasus malware developed by the Israeli company NSO Group.

This software has been used by multiple governments worldwide to spy on individuals, as revealed in a 2021 investigation led by Amnesty International and Forbidden Stories.

According to conflict analyst Elijah Magnier, illegal data collection by Israel in Lebanon likely dates back to 2007.

\Mossad spy networks were discovered focusing on communication systems after the July 2006 war between Lebanon and Israel, which resulted in over 1,100 Lebanese deaths and 165 Israeli casualties. Since then, more Israeli communication spies have been uncovered in Lebanon.

Despite missing the October 7 Hamas attack, Israel maintains “complete intelligence superiority” over its regional adversaries, according to Israeli academic Ori Goldberg.

However, surveillance activities aren’t limited to Israel.

In 2012, Lebanon’s own security intelligence agency was found to have run extensive hacking campaigns, known as “Dark Caracal,” stealing massive amounts of data from apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, as noted by research groups like Lookout and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

These actions are supported by Lebanon’s weak legal protections for electronic privacy, as its Constitution lacks explicit guarantees for privacy, and its laws around surveillance remain limited.

Recent reports from Lebanese publications also suggest an increase in attempted hacking of WhatsApp accounts, with users receiving suspicious links that compromised their accounts, further stressing the vulnerabilities in both countries’ cyber security.