Israel Planted Explosives in Pagers Sold to Hezbollah, Officials Say
Israel conducted a covert operation against Hezbollah by hiding explosives inside a batch of Taiwanese-made pagers imported into Lebanon, according to American and other officials briefed on the operation. The pagers, ordered by Hezbollah from Gold Apollo in Taiwan, were tampered with before reaching Lebanon. Most of the devices were the AR924 model, although three other models were also included in the shipment.
The explosive material, measuring between one to two ounces, was implanted next to the battery in each pager. A remotely triggered switch was embedded within the devices to detonate the explosives. At 3:30 p.m. in Lebanon, the pagers received a message that appeared to come from Hezbollah’s leadership. However, this message activated the explosives, resulting in a coordinated explosion. Lebanon’s health minister reported that at least 11 people were killed, and more than 2,700 were injured.
Independent cybersecurity experts analyzed footage of the explosions, confirming that the strength and speed indicated the use of explosive material. Mikko Hypponen, a research specialist at WithSecure and a cybercrime adviser to Europol, noted that the explosions were not simply caused by battery failures but likely due to modifications made to the pagers. Keren Elazari, an Israeli cybersecurity analyst, emphasized that the attacks targeted Hezbollah’s vulnerability, exploiting their reliance on pagers after their leader Hassan Nasrallah restricted cellphone use due to surveillance concerns.
The attack involved over 3,000 pagers ordered by Hezbollah, which were distributed to their members in Lebanon and allies in Iran and Syria. Only the pagers that were switched on and receiving messages were affected. The operation disrupted a critical communication tool for Hezbollah.
Gold Apollo, the Taiwanese manufacturer of the pagers, distanced itself from the devices used in the attack, claiming that they were produced by another company, B.A.C. Consulting, based in Budapest. Efforts to contact B.A.C. were unsuccessful. Hezbollah accused Israel of orchestrating the attack but has provided limited details. The Israeli military has declined to comment on the incident.
