DAY 347 OF THE WAR: Exploding Pagers Kill & Injure over 3,000 Mostly Hezbollah Members in Lebanon, Hezbollah Plot to Assassinate Former High-Ranking General Thwarted, Aerial Strike Kills Islamic Jihad

Tel Aviv Diary, September 17, 2024

At 4 PM, over 3,000 people in Lebanon, the overwhelming majority of whom were Hezbollah members or operatives, were wounded when their beepers exploded simultaneously. So far, eight fatalities have been reported. The incident occurred across Lebanon and extended to Hezbollah members in Syria, escalating already high tensions. It appears that the beepers were all recently purchased and had either software or hardware modifications added before they were delivered to Hezbollah.

The complexity of this operation suggests that significant technical expertise was required to modify the beepers, ensure Hezbollah’s acquisition of them, and have the capability to trigger the explosions remotely.

Although Israel has not claimed responsibility for this incident, Hezbollah has officially blamed Israel for orchestrating the attacks and has vowed to respond. Will Hezbollah escalate to a full-scale war? That remains to be seen.

General Staff Meeting to Evaluate the Situation

The timing of this bold action in Lebanon raises numerous questions. Several theories have been suggested:

• It could represent the initial phase of a broader assault.

• It might have been intended as a preemptive measure to thwart an imminent attack.

• Fear that this capability was imminently going to be discovered by Hezbollah.

• It could serve as a warning directed at Hezbollah.

• There could be underlying political motivations.

What is Israel’s overall strategy regarding Lebanon? That remains the million-dollar question. In the meantime, the firing of Defense Minister Gallant has been reportedly delayed, but it is still anticipated.

LATEST PUBLIC OPINION POLLS

Polls were published tonight by Israel’s Channel 13 to gauge Israeli public opinion regarding the potential firing of Defense Minister Gallant.

HEZBOLLAH'S ATTACK ON FORMER SECURITY OFFICIAL THWARTED

This evening, Shin Bet Communications issued the following statement:

It has now been authorized for release that the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet), successfully foiled a bomb plot by Hezbollah aimed at a former senior security official. The attack was set to be carried out in the coming days.

During the operation, Shin Bet discovered an explosive device known as “Kalimgor,” commonly utilized by Hezbollah, intended to harm the individual. The device was equipped with a remote activation mechanism, involving a camera and cellphone, designed to be activated from Lebanon by Hezbollah operatives.

Operational preparedness and the actions of Israel’s security forces prevented the attack during its final stages of execution. Security officials have informed the targeted individual and are receiving ongoing briefings. At this stage, no further details can be disclosed.

It should be noted that this device shares characteristics with the Kalimgor explosive used by Hezbollah in the September 15, 2023 attack at Yarkon Park, which also targeted a senior Israeli official. Israel’s security establishment assesses that the Hezbollah operatives involved in this current event were also behind the September 2023 attack. It is emphasized that the terror infrastructure has been under long-term surveillance.

Shin Bet, together with its partners in the security establishment, will continue to use all the capabilities at its disposal to monitor and thwart Hezbollah's terrorist activities.

GAZA

The IDF Spokesman issued the following statement regarding recent operations in Gaza:

Yesterday (Monday), an Israeli Air Force aircraft, guided by intelligence from Military Intelligence (AMAN) and Southern Command, struck and killed Ahmad Ayesh Salameh Al-Hashash, the commander of the rocket unit for the Rafah area in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization, in the humanitarian zone of Khan Younis.

In his role, Al-Hashash was a significant source of knowledge within the rocket array, and during the conflict, he managed operations and rocket fire toward Israel from within the humanitarian zone in which he operated.

Before the strike, several measures were taken to minimize the chance of harming uninvolved individuals, including the use of precision weaponry, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence information.

The terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip systematically violate international law, cruelly exploiting civilian institutions and the population as human shields for their terrorist activities. The IDF will continue to act with strength and determination against these terrorist organizations.

BUSINESS

The stock of the Israeli auto-tech company REE is soaring on Wall Street by approximately 40% following the announcement of a $45 million funding round, most of which comes from the major long-standing investor, M&G, which will invest $20 million. The stock price is now rising to a level similar to that at the beginning of the year.

Before the funding round, the company had about 20 million fully diluted shares, assuming employees exercise their options and all convertible bonds are indeed converted into shares. Since in this funding round REE (+46.37% 4.34) will issue around 11 million additional shares, some in the form of tradable warrants, the implication for existing shareholders is a dilution of approximately 35% of their holdings.

After the investment, M&G will hold 16%. Another existing investor, Varana Capital, will invest an additional $5 million and hold 8%, and the new investor, Motherson Corporation, will invest $15 million and hold 19%, making it the largest shareholder in the company. An additional $5 million will come from undisclosed investors. Prior to the funding round, about 75% of the company's shares were held by public investors, but after the round, the public will hold less than 60%.

Payouts.com, a fintech platform that helps businesses manage supplier payments in an intelligent, optimal, and automated manner while integrating advanced supplier relationship management tools, announced the completion of a $12.1 million fundraising in two rounds: $4.1 million and an additional $8 million. The rounds were led by NFX Fund and investors Edi Shalev, founder of Genesis Fund, Boaz Weinstein, founder of Saba Capital Management, and iAngels Fund.

The investment will give the company significant leverage in several strategic areas: strengthening business growth, expanding its VRM (Vendor Relationship Management) capabilities, developing innovative products, and accelerating its expansion in North America and Europe. All of this will support a growing number of businesses worldwide that seek to optimize their payment systems and improve business relationships with their suppliers.

This week’s radio show