A Lebanese security official reported that Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency had embedded explosives in at least 5,000 pagers to target Hezbollah operatives.
On Tuesday, simultaneous detonations of these pagers resulted in the deaths of at least nine individuals, including an 8-year-old girl, and left nearly 3,000 others injured across Lebanon. The source informed Reuters that the explosives were allegedly placed in the devices by Mossad, although Israel has not acknowledged responsibility for the explosions.
Prior to the incident, the United States indicated that Israel had notified Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin of an impending military operation in Lebanon, without providing specific details.
Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, has pledged to retaliate against Israel. The two factions have been involved in ongoing cross-border hostilities since the onset of the Gaza conflict in October.
How was the operation executed?
The recent attacks on electronic devices seem to represent the culmination of a protracted operation by Israel aimed at simultaneously targeting numerous Hezbollah members. A report from the New York Times, citing twelve current and former defense and intelligence officials briefed on the matter, described the operation as intricate and long-planned.
A senior Lebanese security source disclosed to Reuters that explosives were inserted into 5,000 pagers imported by Hezbollah several months prior. These pagers were produced by Gold Apollo, a company based in Taiwan, although the firm stated it did not manufacture the devices, which were branded under a European company’s name.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had previously cautioned members against using cell phones, warning that Israel could exploit them to monitor the group’s activities. Consequently, the Iran-backed organization has resorted to using pagers for their communications.
The New York Times reports that prior to Nasrallah’s choice to utilize pagers for communication, Israel had initiated a strategy to create a shell company named B.A.C Consulting, based in Hungary, which would masquerade as an international manufacturer of pagers.
Three intelligence officers familiar with the operation informed the newspaper that at least two additional shell companies were established to conceal the identities of Israeli intelligence personnel involved in the production of the pagers.
These officers noted that the company also catered to regular clients, producing a variety of standard pagers. However, the batteries supplied to Lebanon were specially enhanced for explosive purposes.
In 2022, a limited quantity of these pagers was dispatched to Lebanon, with subsequent orders increasing in volume. The New York Times further indicates that the directive to activate the pagers was issued on Tuesday.
To initiate the explosion, Israeli operatives caused the pagers to emit beeping sounds and sent a message in Arabic that was designed to appear as if it originated from the senior leadership of Hezbollah.
