(ZeroHedge)—Hezbollah is vowing retaliation against Israel, which it holds “fully responsible” for the pager explosion attacks that left at least 300 people in critical condition. The death toll has risen to 12, with two among these children who were in the vicinity of exploding pagers. Some blasts went off inside homes. The Lebanese government is concerned about ‘all-out war’ breaking out with Israel.
After about 4pm Beirut time on Wednesday, Hezbollah announced that it has begun its first cross-border attacks on Israeli military border posts since the pager explosions. This could be the beginning of major retaliatory operations which slide into a third Lebanese war.
At least 2,750 people total were injured in the Tuesday pager attacks, including some civilians, while some reports dubiously claimed as many as 4,000 were wounded when on Tuesday pager devices widely used by the Lebanese paramilitary group blew up after apparently being triggered by an external signal sent by Israeli intelligence.
It is being widely assumed that most of the dead and injured are Hezbollah operatives who rely on low-tech telecoms to evade Israeli intelligence from sweeping up cell communications.
The Lebanese health ministry in fresh Wednesday statements put the actual number of wounded between 2,750 and 2,800. The number in critical condition has been revised upward to at least 300 – many of these in intensive care. The wounded are being treated across one hundred hospitals.
Lebanon’s Minister of Health Firass Abiad has in a press conference identified that among the dozen killed were four medical staff, an eight-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy.
In a press briefing in Beirut, Abiad also weighed on the conflicts in Gaza and in southern Lebanon, accusing Israel of “steering away from a diplomatic solution.” He added: “We have to be ready and alert.”
Initial Reports of a Direct Impact from a Hezbollah Rocket on the Town of Ein Ya'akov in Northwestern Israel. pic.twitter.com/Q5iwXLw727
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) September 18, 2024
This has prompted EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to condemn the “indiscriminate” nature of the covert operation. “Even if the attacks seem to have been targeted, they had heavy, indiscriminate collateral damages among civilians, including children among the victims.” Borrell said.
“I consider this situation extremely worrying. I can only condemn these attacks that endanger the security and stability of Lebanon, and increase the risk of escalation in the region,” while also warning of all-out war which would have “heavy consequences for the entire region and beyond.” The United Nations is also calling for accountability for the pager blasts.
🇱🇧 The U.S. State Dept says the U.S. was not involved in the pager explosions in Lebanon and was not aware of the incident beforehand.
In unrelated news, the American University of Beirut Medical Center replaced the pagers of their doctors and staff 2 weeks ago. pic.twitter.com/G5wwQ4tBlj
— Expat Vibes (@expatvibes) September 17, 2024
Meanwhile, there’s been several reports, including in the NY Times, which purport to have uncovered details of precisely how the pager attacks happened:
According to officials briefed on the matter who spoke with the New York Times, the thousands of encrypted pagers which exploded in Lebanon, resulting in hundreds of Hezbollah members killed or critically injured, were Imported into Lebanon by the Taiwanese-Based Pager Company, Gold Apollo… with the pagers having been boobytrapped by Israeli agents before reaching Lebanon, where roughly 1-2 ounces of explosive material was placed next to the device battery, alongside a trigger to allow remote detonation.
At 3:30PM earlier Tuesday, the Pagers received a Message that appeared to be coming from senior Hezbollah leadership, which then activated the explosive within the device, with the pagers being programmed to “beep” several times before exploding.
And some further interesting reports…
High level intel sources tell @gsdebinski and Tyler Huffman:
– TWO Hezbollah members found out about Israel's hack, one was "neutralized"– Decision to detonate pagers early took place before 2nd alerted superiors
Wild details as attack brings Israel-Lebanon to brink of war
— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) September 17, 2024
Hezbollah on Wednesday has said it will continue “operations to support Gaza, its people, and its resistance.”
What exactly did this absurd pager attack achieve? It’s sort of a Rube Goldberg scheme to blow off testicles of low rank foot soldiers and/or civilians going about their daily lives. How is this a military achievement?
— The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) September 18, 2024
Many regional analysts say that the group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah doesn’t want to see all of Lebanon dragged into a major war, but at this point anything is possible. For nearly a year there have been daily tit-for-tat exchanges of fire, but Israeli media has said that PM Netanyahu’s willingness to go into Lebanon to seek to eradicated Hezbollah has grown.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.