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A Lebanese security source informed Reuters that explosives were reportedly planted in the devices by Israel's Mossad, although Israel has not claimed responsibility for the detonations.
A Lebanese security source informed Reuters that explosives were reportedly planted in the devices by Israel’s Mossad, although Israel has not claimed responsibility for the detonations.
The explosions resulted in the deaths of at least nine individuals, including an 8-year-old girl, and left nearly 3,000 others injured when pagers used by Hezbollah members detonated simultaneously across Lebanon on Tuesday.
The United States reported that prior to the pager explosions, Israel notified Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about an impending military operation in Lebanon, although no specifics were provided.
In response, Iran-backed Hezbollah has pledged to retaliate against Israel. The two factions have been involved in ongoing cross-border hostilities since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict last October.
The recent attacks on electronic devices were reportedly the result of a meticulously planned operation by Israel aimed at simultaneously targeting numerous Hezbollah members.
Defense and intelligence officials said that the operation was complex and took months to prepare. A senior Lebanese security source revealed that Israel’s Mossad had implanted explosives in 5,000 pagers, which Hezbollah had imported months earlier.
The pagers involved in the attacks were sourced from Taiwan-based Gold Apollo, although the company stated it did not manufacture them. Instead, a European firm granted them the rights to use its brand name.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had previously cautioned members against carrying cell phones, fearing Israeli tracking. Consequently, the Iran-backed militant group opted for pagers for their communications.
Even before Hassan Nasrallah’s decision to use pagers for communication, Israel had initiated a plan to establish a shell company called Hungary-based B.A.C Consulting, which pretended to be an international pager manufacturer.
Three intelligence officers briefed on the operation revealed that at least two additional shell companies were created to conceal the identities of Israeli intelligence agents involved in the pager production.
While the company catered to ordinary clients, the pagers sent to Lebanon were equipped with explosively enriched batteries. To trigger the explosions, Israeli operatives made the pagers beep and sent a message in Arabic that seemed to originate from Hezbollah’s senior leadership.
