Hezbollah says Israel is dropping leaflets in Lebanon with ‘dangerous barcodes’

Sep 24, 2024

Lauren Taylor Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Reporter), Alex Delia (Producer), Jake Maslo (Video Editor)

Hezbollah has accused Israel of employing new analog methods of cyber warfare after communication devices were banned by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps earlier this week. The accusations come as leaflets reportedly dropped by Israel have appeared in the eastern Bekaa Valley, according to Hezbollah’s media office on Tuesday, Sept. 24.

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Images of the leaflets were shared on social media, including on X, formerly known as Twitter. The leaflets contain a warning addressed to residents of the Bekaa Valley, stating that Hezbollah activity has forced the Israel Defense Forces to move against military positions in the area.

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The message reads:

“Urgent warning to the residents of Bekaa. Hezbollah activity forces the IDF to move against military positions in the village, and the IDF does not want to harm you. If you are in a building where Hezbollah weapons are located, you must leave the village within 2 hours and move 1,000 meters away or to the nearest central school. Do not return until you receive a new message. Anyone near Hezbollah facilities or weapons is putting their life and the lives of their family at risk.”

The leaflet, which is allegedly signed by the IDF, includes a QR code in the lower right corner, instructing residents to scan it to view a block map of their area. Hezbollah, however, claims the QR code is a “dangerous barcode” that will extract all information from any device used to scan it.

Israel said an airstrike on Friday, Sept. 20, took out a Hezbollah commander, and killed nearly a dozen other Hezbollah operatives in Beirut. — AP Images

The development follows an ongoing series of unconventional warfare tactics used against Hezbollah, including a deadly strike in September that targeted communication devices such as pagers and walkie-talkies. Israel has not yet officially commented on the incident or its involvement.

Tags: Beirut, Cyber attack, hezbollah, Iran, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Lebanon

NEW UPDATES FROM LEBANON AS HEZBOLLAH CLAIMS ISRAEL IS USING NEW ANALOG METHODS OF CYBER WARFARE AFTER COMMUNICATION DEVICES WERE BANNED IN THE COUNTRY EARLIER THIS WEEK.

HEZBOLLAH’S MEDIA OFFICE SAID TUESDAY THAT ISRAEL IS DROPPING LEAFLETS ALONG EASTERN BEKAA VALLEY WITH A WARNING TO RESIDENTS.

USERS ON X POSTED IMAGES OF THE LEAFLETS, WHICH READ,

“URGENT WARNING TO THE RESIDENTS OF BEKAA. HEZBOLLAH ACTIVITY FORCES THE IDF TO MOVE AGAINST MILITARY POSITIONS IN THE VILLAGE AND THE IDF DOES NOT WANT TO HARM YOU.

IF YOU ARE IN A BUILDING WHERE HEZBOLLAH WEAPONS ARE LOCATED, YOU MUST LEAVE THE VILLAGE WITHIN TWO HOURS AND MOVE ONE THOUSAND METERS AWAY OR TO THE NEAREST CENTRAL SCHOOL, AND DO NOT RETURN UNTIL YOU RECEIVE A NEW MESSAGE.

ANYONE WHO IS NEAR HEZBOLLAH FACILITIES OR WEAPONS… HE PUTS HIS LIFE AND THE LIVES OF HIS FAMILY AT RISK.”

THE LEAFLET, REPORTEDLY SIGNED BY THE IDF, INCLUDES A QR CODE IN THE LOWER RIGHT CORNER WITH A PROMPT TO SCAN AND SEE THE BLOCK MAP OF THEIR AREA. HOWEVER, HEZBOLLAH IS CLAIMING THIS IS A ‘DANGEROUS BARCODE’… AND SCANNING IT WILL ‘WITHDRAW ALL INFORMATION’ FROM ANY DEVICE.

THIS MOVE CONTINUES A RECENT SAGA OF UNEXPECTED WARFARE TACTICS LEVIED AGAINST HEZBOLLAH… AFTER A DEADLY STRIKE TARGETING PAGERS AND WALKIE TALKIES IN SEPTEMBER. ISRAEL STILL HAS NOT OFFICIALLY COMMENTED ON THEIR INVOLVEMENT.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS… I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.