Bombs in Our Pockets: Will We Submit?

We can’t simply label the explosions of beepers in Lebanon as "cyberattacks." Various horrifying scenarios will undoubtedly be written about Israel's unimaginable methods. According to recent news from American media and expert opinions on social media, the shocking impact of the beepers exploding on Hezbollah members is spreading across the globe exactly as Israel intended.

The target wasn’t just Hezbollah, as with the genocide suffered by Gazans over the past 12 months. Israel is crossing a new threshold with every attack. Having previously secured immunity after October 7, it now seems to be donning the armor of inviolability. I frequently emphasize that Israel uses social media platforms as a highly effective weapon to their maximum advantage.

After a terrorist attack, states engage in various forms of cover-up to prevent chaos and undermine the propaganda impact of terrorist organizations. Terrorist groups aim to psychologically devastate societies and create insecurity by undermining state authority. This is known as "submission." The bloody images released after attacks serve this purpose. In Türkiye, the bloody actions by PKK and ISIS in 2015 had a noticeable impact on the public. For instance, on the evening of July 15, as the coup plotters seized bridges, misleading information about soldiers taking measures against ISIS attacks circulated on social media. This misleading and “persuasive” terrorism-supported manipulation was countered by Yeni Şafak's announcement at 10:37 PM that FETÖ was behind the coup attempt.

Returning to Israel's simultaneous detonations of bombs placed in beepers used by over 3,000 Hezbollah members, this represents a high-level terrorist attack.

Aside from its asymmetry and uniqueness, Israel has moved into a new phase of enforcing its rule through various methods of killing with the beeper attacks in Lebanon, following its assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in the most secure building in Tehran. The placement of explosives ranging from 30 to 60 grams inside these devices and their factory-guaranteed use highlight security vulnerabilities for both Hezbollah and its patron Iran. However, the addition of network keys to the devices and the manner in which bombs explode in response to messages that seem to come from leadership could only be imagined in science fiction films. The simultaneous, real-time attacks we are witnessing are not a film, a script, or fiction. As I write this, the explosion of radios used by Hezbollah members in southern Lebanon shows that Israel has started its display of power. What’s next? Tablets, laptops, and desktop computers?

Much like how America dropped atomic bombs on Japan three days apart in 1945. Initially, during World War II, America successfully tested its first atomic bomb, named 'Trinity,' in the New Mexico desert. Twenty days later, on August 6, 1945, the "Little Boy" bomb, containing 64 kilograms of uranium-235, was dropped on Hiroshima, causing the death of 140,000 people. Three days after Hiroshima, on August 9, 1945, the U.S. dropped the "Fat Man" bomb on Nagasaki, killing 74,000 people in seconds and destroying one-third of the city’s buildings. These two attacks are recorded as the first and only nuclear attacks in warfare. The world changed instantly. Both warring and neutral states, along with their populations, were brought to their knees by the atomic bomb. The devastating potential of America’s weapon became evident. Russia’s test of the 'Tsar Bomba' hydrogen bomb in 1961 shocked America. The decision by the Cold War superpowers to halt nuclear weapons development was a significant assurance for humanity.

But how will today's technology be controlled? New-generation warfare tactics are being developed with unprecedented methods and tested on people. It is now common knowledge that Israel has used artificial intelligence technology to target civilians in Gaza. Information from billions of users on WhatsApp revealed that many Hamas members were pinpointed for targeted attacks in May.

Before dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, America studied Japanese life and habits to determine the best time when they would be most exposed and set the attack for 8:15 AM. They collected data for maximum impact. Israel, on the other hand, is systematizing genocide through its 'Lavender' software, organizing mass assassinations with zero fieldwork.

Yesterday, the world grappled with the anxiety of one question: Could cell phones be detonated like beepers? Opinions vary. Some experts claim it’s impossible, stating that real bombs were placed inside the devices. Ümit Sanlav, a communications and cybersecurity researcher who spoke to Yeni Şafak, suggests that our phone batteries could be heated remotely or via spyware to be made ready for explosion. Dr. Mehmet Nurullah Ateş, an expert in lithium batteries, also mentioned in an interview with our website that it is not an impossible scenario.

So, whether by various interventions or not, we carry “bombs” under the guidance of algorithms in our pockets. Whether we will submit, bow to Israel, or willingly surrender to advancing technological tools remains in humanity's hands. While cell phones may not explode in our faces like beepers while watching videos on TikTok, they could be tasked with guiding thousands of users to the site of bombs with a single notification. Are we aware of this?