Qatar Airways has announced a ban on passengers traveling from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport from carrying pagers and walkie-talkies. This decision follows a series of explosive incidents involving these devices in Lebanon, prompting authorities to issue a directive against them on flights.
On Thursday, Qatar Airways communicated via social media platform X that the ban would remain in effect until further notice. “Effective immediately: Following the directive received from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of the Republic of Lebanon, all passengers flying from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY) are prohibited from carrying pagers and walkie-talkies on board flights,” the airline posted.
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The ban applies to checked luggage, carry-on items, and cargo. Lebanese authorities also instituted a similar prohibition on Thursday, reported by the National News Agency, following numerous explosions of wireless communication devices during a recent attack on Hezbollah.
The death toll from these explosions, which occurred in two waves on Tuesday and Wednesday, has reached 37, with over 2,931 individuals injured, according to Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad. The incidents add a new dimension to the ongoing 11-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, characterized by deadly Israeli airstrikes and retaliatory attacks on northern Israel.
The Lebanese Foreign Ministry condemned the explosions as a “dangerous and deliberate Israeli escalation,” asserting that they coincide with Israeli threats to widen the conflict into Lebanon. Internal security forces reported multiple detonations of wireless devices, particularly in Hezbollah strongholds in southern Beirut.
Three security sources reported that Hezbollah introduced the pagers that exploded as some of the latest models in recent months. While Hezbollah has attributed the explosions to Israeli actions, no Israeli officials have claimed responsibility for the incidents.
