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NETANYHAU: “I already said it. We are going to return the residents of the North to their homes in safety. And this is exactly what we are doing”. (Makes no mention of two days of blowing up devices all over Lebanon, maiming THOUSANDS of Hezbollah terrorists.)

Authorities have assured that there is no danger to the site of former President Donald Trump’s rally on Long Island, despite the discovery of “explosives” in a nearby vehicle.

A representative from the Nassau County Police Department confirmed to DailyMail.com that there was a “suspicious incident” on Wednesday ahead of Trump’s scheduled speech, which is expected to draw thousands of supporters.

However, the police have clarified that the earlier claim of an “explosive device” being found is not accurate.

This latest report of a potential security breach follows the recent arrest of a man who was allegedly attempting to assassinate the former president while he was golfing at his Palm Beach club just three days prior.

Law enforcement remains vigilant in the hours leading up to Trump’s appearance.

Earlier in the day, sources from the Nassau County Police Department reportedly informed journalist James Lalino that the security perimeter at the rally site had been compromised, and that a blue barrel had been removed.

Additionally, during a sweep by K9 units, it was alleged that an explosive device was located in one of the vehicles in the area.

The same sources claimed that the driver of the vehicle fled into a wooded area.

“No one saw if he had anything with him; they just witnessed him run away. Cars are starting to park everywhere—lining Hempstead Turnpike and even parking at Eisenhower Park,” the source told Lalino, according to a post on X.

A large number of Trump supporters are anticipated to gather on Long Island today, ahead of the 7 p.m. ET rally at the Nassau Coliseum.

Many in the crowd had already gathered, with some camping overnight to secure good seats inside the arena.

Doors to the venue are set to open at 3 p.m. ET, yet many attendees had already arrived, wearing Trump-themed clothing, hats, buttons, and waving flags in support of the former president.

The Nassau County Police Department told DailyMail.com they are preparing a formal statement to address the alleged security issue.

In response to security concerns, Trump has opted to hold more indoor events, especially since the assassination attempt on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania.

{Matzav.com}

YWN regrets to inform you of the tragic of Menachem Mendel Bluming z”l, a 15-year-old Lubavitcher bochur who was struck and critically injured by a vehicle outside his yeshiva two months ago.  Mendel z”l was hurt outside the Suffield Yeshiva in Connecticut, as he crossed the road. Despite immediate medical attention and a valiant fight for life, Mendel sadly succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday. After initial treatment at a Massachusetts hospital, Mendel was stabilized and transferred to a New York City hospital where he was niftar. Levaya details will be published when available. Besuros Tovos. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israel unleashed their strategy to detonate pagers used by Hezbollah members due to concerns that the plot might soon be uncovered by the Iran-supported terror group, according to three US officials speaking with Axios.

“It was a use it or lose it moment,” a US official stated to explain Israel’s decision to execute the attack yesterday.

Although Israel has been identified as responsible for the large-scale, coordinated assault, there has been no official response from Jerusalem.

An ex-Israeli official informed Axios that the plan was initially to deploy the exploding pagers as the first move in a full-scale conflict with the terror group. However, recent fears arose that the devices might be discovered before they could be used.

Axios reports that Al Monitor indicated two Hezbollah members had recently expressed worries about the pagers.

According to Axios, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant informed the US just moments before the attack that an operation was imminent, though he did not provide specifics.

Yesterday afternoon, at least nine individuals lost their lives, and thousands sustained injuries as pagers carried by Hezbollah members across Lebanon detonated.

The unprecedented series of explosions, which also reportedly resulted in casualties in Syria and injuries to the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, created turmoil in a region already bracing for potential large-scale conflict.

{Matzav.com}

The Biden administration is letting Alaska Airlines complete its $1 billion purchase of Hawaiian Airlines after the carriers agreed to certain conditions, including maintaining current service on routes between Hawaii and the mainland U.S. where they don’t have much competition. Transportation Department officials said Tuesday that no obstacles remain to the airlines closing the deal and beginning to merge, although some final approvals were still pending. Alaska Airlines said it expected to close the deal “in the coming days.” Alaska’s stock closed down 1%, while shares in Hawaiian Holdings rose 4% to $18, the price per share that Alaska agreed to pay for its smaller rival. The decision to clear the way for the airlines to merge stands in contrast to the administration’s adamant opposition to previous airline deals. The Justice Department successfully sued to block JetBlue from buying Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion, and it went to court to kill a partnership between JetBlue and American Airlines. The Justice Department could still challenge the Alaska-Hawaiian deal, but that appeared unlikely. The Transportation Department, which also must approve airline mergers, said Alaska and Hawaiian promised to meet certain conditions for six years. Those include preserving subsidized flights to smaller communities in Alaska and Hawaii, and maintaining current levels of service between Hawaii and the mainland where no more than one other airline currently flies the same route. The Transportation Department could drop the latter requirement if the flying becomes unprofitable. Alaska and Hawaiian also agreed to some consumer protections, including maintaining the value of frequent-flyer rewards as they combine their loyalty programs, guaranteeing families can sit together without paying extra fees, and offering lower costs to military families. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the airlines also promised to compensate passengers for cancellations and significant delays that are the carriers’ fault. Seattle-based Alaska Airlines said in a statement that the promises are similar to its plans all along and would not affect “the synergies of the deal, which will enhance competition and expand choice for consumers.“ The Transportation Department said it gave Alaska and Hawaiian an exemption to combine ownership — to merge. The department is still reviewing the airlines’ request to fly international routes under one operating certificate, which is likely only a formality. The airlines announced the deal in December, when they valued it at $1.9 billion including Hawaiian debt that Alaska will take over. Alaska vowed to retain the Hawaiian brand. The deal will solidify Alaska Air Group’s position as the fifth-largest U.S. airline company by revenue and expand its international profile with Hawaiian’s extensive flying between the island state and Asia. (AP)

More communications devices used by Hezbollah terrorists exploded on Wednesday afternoon across the group’s main stronghold in Beirut and in Southern Lebanon, Reuters reported, citing a security source.

The Hezbollah devices that exploded on Wednesday afternoon are hand-held radios, the Lebanese source told the press agency.

At least one of the blasts took place in the vicinity of a funeral for terrorists killed on Tuesday, when thousands of Hezbollah pagers detonated all over the country, according to eyewitness reports.

JNS

Authorities have reportedly discovered explosives in a vehicle near the site of a rally for former President Donald Trump on Long Island, just hours before he was scheduled to speak on Wednesday evening. If confirmed, the discovery would mark the latest in a series of alarming security breaches surrounding the former president. This comes just three days after a would-be assassin was apprehended at Trump’s Palm Beach golf club, and 9 weeks after Trump’s ear was struck by a bullet at a rally in Pennsylvania. Citing sources within the Nassau County Police Department, journalist James Lalino of One America News Network reported that the rally site perimeter had been compromised, and law enforcement removed a suspicious blue barrel from the scene. During a K9 sweep, authorities allegedly found an explosive device inside one of the vehicles parked near the venue. The driver of the vehicle reportedly fled the scene and was last seen running into nearby woods. “No one saw if he had anything on him; they just saw him take off running,” a source allegedly told Lalino. The source also noted that vehicles were lining up along Hempstead Turnpike and even parking in Eisenhower Park as thousands of Trump supporters flocked to the rally. The former president is set to address a packed Nassau Coliseum at 7 p.m. ET, where large crowds of supporters have already begun gathering, many having camped out overnight to secure a spot inside the arena. Doors to the event will open at 3 p.m. ET, and the venue is expected to be filled with Trump supporters donning MAGA gear, hats, and flags. This latest incident follows a series of violent threats targeting Trump since his return to the campaign trail. On July 13, an assassination attempt occurred at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was shot in the ear by a would-be attacker. More recently, an armed suspect pointed an AK-47 at the former president while he played golf at Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach. Secret Service agents quickly neutralized the threat. Trump has frequently attributed the rise in violent threats against him to the “rhetoric” of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, claiming that their language has incited aggression against him and his supporters. As a result, the former president has shifted many of his events indoors to enhance security. Local authorities are continuing to investigate the situation, with no official confirmation yet regarding the explosives found near the rally site. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Rav Gershon Ribner, rosh kollel of Kollel Nesivos Hatorah and son-in-law of Rav Shneur Kotler, has succeeded in applying classical Talmudical analysis and methodology to understanding all areas of Yiddishkeit, bringing out its profundity and sense.

LISTEN:

Two-way radios and other communication devices used by Hezbollah are reportedly exploding all across southern Lebanon, barely a day after thousands of Hezbollah terrorists were injured when their pagers suddenly exploded. Videos emerging from Lebanon show panic at a funeral for the son of a Hezbollah MP who was killed in yesterday’s explosion, as well as fires breaking out in vehicles and apartments that apparently had the radios in them. According to Israeli journalist Barak Ravid, the radios exploding today were booby-trapped in advance by Israeli intelligence services and then delivered to Hezbollah. They were purchased at the same time as the pagers that blew up yesterday, killing nearly a dozen Hezbollah members and injuring some 4,000 others. The radios were intended to be part of the terrorist organization’s emergency communications system in the event of an all-out war with Israel. Lebanon’s state news agency reports that at least three people have been killed following the explosions in the Bekaa region, while security sources informed Reuters that hundreds have been injured in a series of blasts across the country. DEVELOPING. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

As freight trains have grown longer, the U.S. has seen an increase in the number of a type of derailment caused by the forces of railcars pushing and pulling against each other, the National Academies of Sciences said Tuesday in a long-awaited report that urges regulators, Congress and the industry to reexamine their risks. Railroads should take special care in the way they assemble trains that routinely measure more than a mile or two, especially those with a mix of different types of cars, the report said, echoing a warning the Federal Railroad Administration issued last year. “Long trains aren’t inherently dangerous. But if you don’t have adequate planning on how to put the train together, they can be,” said Peter Swan, a Penn State University professor who was one of the report’s authors. The increased use of long trains has allowed the major freight railroads — CSX, Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, CPKC and Canadian National — to cut costs because they can employ fewer crews and maintain fewer locomotives. The average length of trains increased by about 25% from 2008 to 2017. By 2021, when the report was commissioned, some trains had grown to nearly 14,000 feet (4,267 meters), or more than 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers) long. The unions representing train crews have said that longer trains are harder to handle, especially when they travel across uneven territory, because of the way cars push and pull against each other. On a train that’s more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) long, one section can be going uphill while another section is going downhill. Such trains are so long that the radios rail workers use might not work from the front to the back of them. “Anybody and everybody that’s in rail safety knows that this is a problem. It cannot be overstated,” said Jared Cassity, the top safety expert at the SMART-TD union that represents conductors. “Long trains absolutely are a risk to the public and a risk to the workers and anybody with common sense can see that.” Mark Wallace with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen said Tuesday’s report reinforces what engineers have long known: “Long trains have a greater risk of derailing, have communications issues, and pose a threat to the public due to blocked crossings, among other issues.” The union urged Congress and regulators to act quickly. The railroads say they work to ensure their trains are safe at any length. The president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads trade group, Ian Jefferies, said many railroads use software that helps them model train forces before railcars are hooked together. “As operations continue to evolve, railroads are pulling on three key levers — technology, training and infrastructure — to further enhance safety and reliability,” Jefferies said. But Cassity said countless derailments over the years have shown that software and the cruise control systems that help engineers operate a train are imperfect. The number of derailments in the U.S. has held steady at more than 1,000 a year, or more than three a day, even as rail traffic decreased. Railroads say two-thirds of those are minor. Derailments have gotten increased attention since a disastrous one in East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023 in which hazardous chemicals leaked and burned for days. That Norfolk […]

We urgently need to fly Rivka to Vienna for treatment at St. Anna Hospital. The treatment must begin as soon as possible, and no later than November 19. The treatment will involve a series of chemotherapy sessions over the course of three months. We are hopeful that she will not need more than four treatments. Unfortunately, the insurance only covers the hospital stay, but not the medical treatment itself. It is crucial that the treatment begins on time. To start the process, we need to make a down payment to the hospital at least 14 days in advance. Donate now *Please keep Rivka bas Sarah Leah in your prayers for a complete recovery.*

Former President Donald Trump, addressing a crowd in Flint, Michigan, on Tuesday, implied that multiple assassination attempts against him were a result of the significant impact of his presidency. He argued that only presidents who make a substantial difference face such threats.

“You know, only consequential presidents get shot at,” Trump asserted during a town hall event, referring to the fact that the Secret Service had recently thwarted a second assassination attempt against him in two months.

“The endeavor of running for president is fraught with peril,” Trump remarked to Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders, who moderated the discussion.

“Being president brings its own risks,” he continued. “People think race car driving is risky—no. They think bull riding is perilous—no. This job is dangerous, and it’s crucial that we ensure it remains secure.”

“God is not done with President Trump,” affirmed Sanders, who previously served as his White House Press Secretary.

“He’s the toughest guy I know and the fighter our country most desperately needs right now,” she added.

Trump mentioned a “pleasant conversation” with President Biden and received a “very, very nice” phone call from Vice President Kamala Harris following the recent scare at his West Palm Beach golf club.

Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was apprehended and charged with federal firearm offenses after allegedly hiding in the bushes near Trump’s golf course with an AK-47 rifle.

“These guys do a great job,” Trump commented about the Secret Service’s handling of the situation. “Now – they do need more people. And they’ve been complaining about that for a long time. But they did a great job.”

“This guy was all set to do his number,” Trump said of Routh, describing his setup outside the golf course as “sophisticated.”

Trump also praised the woman who followed Routh and recorded his license plate number, which enabled law enforcement to quickly apprehend him.

“See, women are smarter than men,” Trump said of the observant woman, adding, “I’d like to meet her. I’m going to meet her, I hope.”

On policy issues, Trump criticized the move by Chinese automakers to establish factories in Mexico, seemingly to avoid tariffs and import electric vehicles into the United States.

“They’re owned and built by China in Mexico, and there are a number of them going up right now,” he said of the car manufacturing plants south of the border.

“They think they’re going to make their cars there, and they’re going to sell them across our line, and we’re going to take them and we’re not going to charge them tax – we’re going to charge them,” Trump promised.

“I’m telling you right now, I’m putting a 200% tariff on, which means they’re unsellable, unsellable in the United States,” he added.

“And then you wonder why I get shot at, right?” Trump joked.

“When I say something like that, you have countries saying, ‘This guy,’ but what can you do?” he contended. “You have to do what you have to do, right? We have to be brave. Otherwise, we’re not going to have a country left.”

Trump is among the 15 U.S. presidents who have survived assassination attempts. Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy were assassinated while in office, after having narrowly avoided earlier attempts on their lives.

Former President Andrew Jackson survived an assassination attempt in 1835 at the U.S. Capitol when the attacker’s gun misfired.

Former Presidents Gerald Ford and Franklin Roosevelt were shot at close range by would-be assassins, who missed their targets.

During the presidencies of Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, shooters fired at the White House, and in 1994, a disturbed individual even crashed a small plane onto the South Lawn in an unsuccessful attempt to kill Clinton.

Former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Theodore Roosevelt, who was also on the campaign trail at the time, were struck by bullets but survived.

Former Presidents Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Harry S. Truman, and Herbert Hoover also had assassination attempts thwarted before they could be executed.

In a Fox News segment that aired after the Flint town hall, Trump acknowledged the criticism aimed at the Secret Service and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas following the two recent assassination attempts. However, he expressed satisfaction with the Secret Service’s performance in this particular case.

“In this case, it was something that worked out very well,” he said.

When questioned about whether the Secret Service should have secured the golf course’s perimeter before his outing, Trump said, “I can’t say.”

“I just said, ‘Let’s go play a quick round,’” he told Fox News host Sean Hannity, “because it’s all business for me.”

“It’s my only little bit of a form of exercise,” he said of his passion for golf, arguing that presidents and candidates should be able to pursue their activities safely.

“But Butler is a very different story,” Trump remarked about the first assassination attempt. “You know, somebody should have been on that building, and that’s a different story.”

Trump noted that his campaign has consistently requested additional Secret Service agents at events, and he anticipates that this will be addressed moving forward.

“That’s the weakness, if, if there’s a weakness,” he said regarding the apparent shortage of Secret Service personnel at his rallies.

“We’ve long requested more people … I will say, in Butler, we wanted more people. I heard them say it, you know, ‘We need more people here for security,’ and we never seem to get that. And I think we are getting it now,” Trump said. “Somebody told me that they will be providing more people now.”

{Matzav.com}

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North Korea on Wednesday test-fired multiple ballistic missiles toward its eastern seas, the South Korean and Japanese militaries said, adding to its military demonstrations as tensions with Washington and neighbors escalate. The launches come days after North Korea offered a rare view into a secretive facility built to enrich uranium for nuclear bombs as leader Kim Jong Un called for a rapid expansion of his nuclear weapons program. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected North Korea firing multiple short-range ballistic missiles from north of its capital, Pyongyang, and said they traveled about 400 kilometers (244 miles) while flying toward the northeast. The joint chiefs said it was closely communicating with the United States and Japan while analyzing the launches but didn’t immediately provide further flight details. Japan’s defense ministry said it detected at least two launches but didn’t immediately say what types of missiles they were and how far they flew. Japan’s coast guard said the missiles were believed to have already fallen into waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan and urged vessels to watch out for falling objects. Japan’s NHK television said the missiles were believed to have landed outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone. The South Korean joint chiefs condemned the launches as a provocation that “seriously threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.” It said in a statement that South Korean and U.S. militaries were closely monitoring North Korean activities while maintaining a combined defense posture “to respond overwhelmingly to any provocation.” North Korea didn’t immediately confirm the launches. They followed a previous round of ballistic tests last week as Kim vowed to have his nuclear force fully ready for battle with its rivals. The North said the launches on Sept. 12 involved its “super-large” 600mm multiple rocket launchers, which it describes as capable of delivering tactical nuclear warheads. Experts say North Korea’s large-sized artillery rockets blur the boundary between artillery systems and ballistic missiles because they can create their own thrust and are guided during delivery. Since 2022, North Korea has ramped up its weapons testing activities to expand and modernize its arsenal of nuclear missiles targeting the U.S. and South Korea. The allies have expanded their combined military exercises and are updating their nuclear deterrence strategies based on U.S. assets to counter the North’s growing threat. Analysts say Kim’s long-term goal is to force the United States to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and negotiate economic and security concessions from a position of strength. While disclosing the uranium enrichment facility last week, Kim called for stronger efforts to “exponentially” increase its number of nuclear weapons in the face of what he described as U.S. threats. State media published photos that showed Kim talking with military officials and scientists between long lone lines of centrifuges used to produce weapons-grade uranium, but the reports didn’t say where the facility was located or when Kim made the visit. Analysts say North Korea could conduct a nuclear test explosion or long-range missile test ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November with the intent of influencing the outcome and increasing its leverage in future dealings with the new U.S. administration. (AP)

A poster was released last night announcing an atzeres tefillah in response to growing concerns about threats to the Torah world and the Olam Hayeshivos in Eretz Yisroel.

The poster says that this large-scale gathering, set for this month of Elul, aims to bring together thousands of Jews to cry out in tefillah and protest, pleading to Hashem “lehaavir es ro’a hagezeirah.”

The atzeres is being organized in response to governmental decrees that are seen as endangering the integrity of Torah institutions and the broader Torah community.

The poster does not delineate the date or location of this planned atzeres.

The poster contains various signatories at its bottom half. First listed are admorim, including the Satmar Rebbe Rav Aharon Teitelbaum, the Satmar Rebbe Rav Zalman Leib Teitelbaum, the Pupa Rebbe, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, the Bobov-45 Rebbe, the Vienner Rov, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Williamsburg, as well as Rav Avrohom Yehoshua  Heshel Bick and other Chassidishe rabbonim.

Beneath those names, the poster lists names of gedolei roshei yeshivos: Rav Malkiel Kotler, rosh yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha of Lakewood; Rav Yeruchem Olshin, rosh yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha of Lakewood; Rav Dovid Tzvi Schustal, rosh yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha of Lakewood; Rav Yisroel Tzvi Neuman, rosh yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha of Lakewood; Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Gedolah Zichron Moshe of South Fallsburg; Rav Shlomo Feivel Schustal, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Tiferes Yerachmiel of Lakewood; Rav Asher Kalmanowitz, rosh yeshiva of Mirrer Yeshiva of Brooklyn; Rav Yitzchok Sorotzkin, rosh yeshiva of Mesivta of Lakewood; Rav Shlomo Halioua, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin of Brooklyn; and Rav Yaakov Shraga Horowitz, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Bais Meir of Boro Park.

{Matzav.com}

For all the debate about just how rich former President Donald Trump is, one thing is clear: His ownership stake in Trump Media & Technology Group makes him a billionaire. The company behind the Truth Social platform is worth more than $3 billion on Wall Street, and Trump owns more than half of it. So far, Trump and other insiders in the company known as TMTG have been unable to cash in because a “lock-up agreement” has prevented them from selling any of their shares since TMTG began trading publicly in March. Trump’s lock-up deal looks set to expire later this week. But if he sells, Trump risks sending a negative signal to other shareholders and prompting them to dump their shares. For now, Trump says he’s not selling. Here’s a look at what the end of the lock-up could mean and what Truth Social actually does: What’s the latest? Trump on Thursday will be free to start selling his shares of TMTG as long as they don’t close below $12 before then. They closed Tuesday at $16.14. Trump entered into the lock-up agreement in March, when TMTG merged with a shell company named Digital World Acquisition Corp. and took its place on the Nasdaq stock market. Trump does not run TMTG. Its CEO is Devin Nunes, the former Republican U.S. Representative from California. But Trump is the biggest draw for its Truth Social network, posting his “truths” on the social-media platform. How much of the company does Trump own? Trump owned 57.3% of all the company’s shares, as of Aug. 15. Based on the company’s total market value of $3.23 billion, that made Trump’s stake worth $1.85 billion. What is Truth Social? Trump launched Truth Social, in February 2022, after he was banned from major sites such as Facebook and the platform formerly known as Twitter following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He’s since been reinstated to both — and endorsed by X owner Elon Musk — but he still mostly posts on his own platform. While the platform sought to capitalize on the outrage over Trump’s social media bans to attract a broad audience, Truth Social, much like fellow right-leaning social media platforms Gettr and Parler, has not been able to move much beyond an echo chamber of conservative political commentary. Truth Social is marketed as the antidote to mainstream social media apps, which Trump and his supporters say discriminate against their views and limit free expression, said Roxana Muenster, a doctoral student at Cornell University who studies the far-right and digital communication. Its audience, she added, is mainly Trump’s MAGA base. “There is also a lot of hate speech and extremism on the platform due to their lax approach to content moderation.” As part of an agreement that runs until February 2025, Trump has agreed to wait six hours after posting on Truth Social before he can post any “non-political communications” on other social media platforms However, this is at the former president’s sole discretion, and as the company notes in a regulatory filing, as “a candidate for president, most or all of President Trump’s social media posts may be deemed by him to be politically related.” How does TMTG make money? The company said in a recent regulatory filing that it relies on […]

The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Israel was responsible for the detonation of pagers used by Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon.

The report, which cited American and other sources, explained that the operation involved placing explosive material inside a fresh shipment of Taiwanese-made pagers sent to Lebanon.

Hezbollah had ordered the pagers from Gold Apollo, a manufacturer based in Taiwan. However, according to some officials who spoke to The New York Times, the devices were altered before reaching Lebanon. While most of the pagers were from the AP924 model, the shipment also included three other models from the same company.

Two officials detailed that the explosives, which weighed between one and two ounces, were inserted near the battery inside each pager. They also mentioned that a switch was added, allowing the explosives to be set off remotely.

At 3:30 p.m. in Lebanon, the pagers reportedly received what seemed to be a routine message from Hezbollah’s leadership, but in reality, this triggered the explosives, two officials told the newspaper.

Three officials further explained that the pagers were programmed to emit a series of beeps for a few seconds before detonating.

Hezbollah had purchased over 3,000 pagers from Gold Apollo, with several officials noting that the devices were distributed to members across Lebanon, and some even reached Hezbollah affiliates in Iran and Syria.

According to Lebanese reports, the explosions that took place on Tuesday resulted in 11 fatalities and left at least 4,000 people wounded.

Earlier in the day, Sky News’ Arabic division reported that the Mossad had planted the explosive material inside the pagers’ batteries and triggered them by raising the temperature of the batteries.

A security official from Lebanon told Al Jazeera that the pagers had been booby-trapped before being delivered to Hezbollah.

Hezbollah has accused Israel of orchestrating the explosions and has threatened retaliation. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi denounced the incident, labeling it a “terrorist act” and holding Israel responsible.

{Matzav.com}

In what appears to be a sophisticated, remote attack, pagers used by hundreds of members of Hezbollah exploded almost simultaneously in Lebanon and Syria, killing at least nine people and wounding thousands more. Samuel Katz, a counterterrorism expert and author who has written extensively about the elite special forces of Israel’s military, joins NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live” to discuss.

WATCH:

Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is launching her own radio talk show next week on SiriusXM that’s set to air once a week at least through the inauguration of a new president. She’ll do interviews, take listener calls and talk politics on the show, which will be carried Wednesdays from 8 to 9 a.m. ET on the satellite radio system’s Triumph channel. Expect some talk mixed in about Clemson football, her passion for running and music — maybe even Taylor Swift. The former U.N. ambassador’s own politics won’t be a secret, but she said she wanted to get away from some of the tribalism that dominates the media. “My kids, they don’t watch the news, because they think both sides are crazy,” she told The Associated Press. “And they’re not wrong about that. I think we have to take the craziness out. I think we have to take the noise out and I think we have to break things down in a way that people feel empowered.” Haley was former President Donald Trump’s last opponent left standing for the GOP nomination this year. She endorsed Trump and supported him at the convention, but until the last two weeks, Trump hadn’t sought her help on the general election campaign trail. But she said Tuesday that Trump’s team had reached out to hers in the past two weeks to discuss some options for joint appearances, though none have been scheduled. Her radio show, however, “is not going to be about campaigning for a particular candidate,” she said. She said she’d been approached by some partisan news outlets about doing some work for them but wasn’t interested. She didn’t identify them. Her campaign, she said, taught her how the media is tainted and partisan outlets are predictable. “I think that’s what Americans are tired of,” Haley said. “They don’t want to go on and watch a news show and know exactly which candidate they’re pushing and exactly what politics are pushing. They want to know the issues. They want to know exactly how it’s going to affect their family. I want to take all of the politics out and really break it down on a policy level.” Haley said she’s open to continuing the show past January “if Americans like what they hear.” Asked if the show could be useful for her political future, Haley said: “I’m not thinking politics at this point. I’m thinking about what would be fun for me.” Her donors and supporters on Tuesday received an announcement about the show, along with an invitation to join a mailing list and contribute to a political action committee. (AP)