Noorulain Shaikh graduated with an LLB (Hons.) degree from the University of London. She is keen on geographical, sociopolitical, and legal aspects of world affairs. She is a published author of articles concerning international law and regional policy affairs.

Israel has been on a witchhunt against Hezbollah in Lebanon amidst the Israel-Hezbollah armed conflict post-October 2023. On 17th and 18th September, in an Israeli attack, thousands of handheld pagers and walkie-talkies exploded all over Lebanon and Syria. The explosions from these devices, intended for use by Hezbollah, killed around 37 people and injured more than 3000. The military strategy of using hidden explosives in conventionally harmless communication devices is drawing attention to these past couple of attacks.

Pagers and walkie-talkies are used to communicate or receive messages from several people. These devices also make tracing difficult, which is why the military and civilian wings of Hezbollah use them. Under international law, these devices are called booby traps, which are not strictly illegal unless used to harm persons or objects protected by international humanitarian law (IHL) or customary international law.

The attacks are governed by international humanitarian law (IHL), which activates during armed conflicts and warfare. Multiple treaties and conventions shape IHL, such as the Hague Convention and the Geneva Conventions. These conventions advocate some basic principles of IHL, which are at play in armed conflicts or warfare.

Broadly, these principles are distinction, proportionality, and necessity. Each of them focuses on three different aspects of an armed attack. An........

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