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

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.

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.

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.