How Hundreds Of Pagers Were Turned Into Explosive Devices Months Before The Blasts In

Hundreds of handheld pagers used by members of Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon and parts of Syria on Tuesday, killing at least 11 people and injuring over 3000. The blasts were a result of new devices that the Lebanese outfit had recently acquired, which were modified to include small explosives.

 Explosive-packed pagers

Israeli intelligence is believed to be behind the attack, having planted explosives within the pagers before their delivery to Hezbollah. Initial reports said this operation involved injecting explosive materials into 5,000 Taiwan-made pagers ordered by the Lebanese group months before the detonations. However, Taiwanese company Gold Apollo on Wednesday denied a report that it had produced hundreds of explosive-packed pagers used by Hezbollah members which simultaneously exploded, killing at least nine people.

“They are not our products from beginning to end. How can we produce products that are not ours?” company head Hsu Chin-kuang told reporters in Taipei after the New York Times reported that his company’s pagers were involved in the blasts. Earlier, it was reported that the Israeli spy agency placed a highly explosive material, on the batteries of the devices, and detonated them by raising the temperature of the batteries from afar.

Israel tampered with the devices that Hezbollah ordered, according to the New York Times. They reportedly placed two ounces of explosive material next to the battery in each pager. A switch was also embedded that could be triggered remotely to detonate the explosives, the report said. Hezbollah fighters received a message at 3:30 p.m. local time that appeared to come from the group’s leadership. The message was followed by a brief pause, likely intended for the fighters to raise their pagers to their faces before the devices detonated.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had previously warned members against using cellphones due to concerns over surveillance by Israeli forces. As a result, the group had transitioned to using pagers for secure communication. However, this shift backfired when the devices began to heat up and explode in users’ pockets or hands. An unnamed Hezbollah official told The Wall Street Journal that some Hezbollah members felt their pagers heating up and disposed of them before they exploded.

‘A coded message was sent to them’

Hezbollah officials have accused Israel of executing a “security operation” targeting their communication devices. “The Mossad injected a board inside of the device that has explosive material that receives a code. It’s very hard to detect it through any means. Even with any device or scanner,” an unnamed source told Reuters. They said that 3,000 of the pagers exploded when “a coded message was sent” to them, simultaneously activating the explosives.

This incident marks a significant escalation in hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel amid ongoing tensions related to the conflict in Gaza. Israeli officials have not commented on the allegations but have indicated that they may intensify military operations against Hezbollah in response to ongoing rocket fire from Lebanon.

According to Israeli media, this attack shows a new level of operational sophistication by Israel, potentially indicating a shift in tactics against its adversaries. As investigations continue into how these pagers were compromised and detonated, Hezbollah has vowed to respond with “fair punishment” for what it views as an act of aggression against its members and sovereignty.