On Tuesday, Hezbollah members across Lebanon were stunned when they detonated their pagers, resulting in massive casualties. According to reports, at least nine people were killed and more than 2,800 injured when the devices, which contained explosives hidden by Israeli operatives, went off. The pagers were originally developed for Hezbollah’s communications network, but were transformed into tools of destruction by a secret Israeli operation.
The attacks were focused on the southern suburbs of Beirut, Hezbollah’s stronghold, and the eastern Bekaa Valley, where the explosions began at around 3:30 a.m. local time and lasted for about an hour. Footage showed disturbing scenes of militants and civilians falling in the streets with injuries to their faces, fingers and stomachs. Hospitals across Lebanon are filled with victims who have suffered injuries caused by setting off pagers.
Lebanon pager bombing: Pagers modified by Israeli intelligence
The devices used in the attack were said to have been manufactured by Taiwan-based Gold Apollo, and purchased by Hezbollah months earlier for its low-tech communications needs. To avoid detection by advanced surveillance systems, Hezbollah members relied on these pagers to communicate securely. However, according to Lebanese and security sources, Israeli intelligence agents infiltrated the supply chain and rigged the pagers with explosives before they were shipped to Lebanon.
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A coded message disguised as a normal communication of the Hezbollah leadership triggered explosives hidden in a pager. “The operation was exactly as planned, explosive components were planted at the production stage and activated remotely,” said a senior Lebanese security official. Former US National Intelligence Officer for the Middle East Jonathan Panikoff described it as “Hezbollah’s biggest counterintelligence failure in decades.”
Taiwan’s Gold Apollo issues a statement for Attack:
However, Taiwan’s Gold Apollo has denied manufacturing the pagers used in the Lebanon bombings. The Reuters report said the pagers were not manufactured by itself but were licensed to use its brand by a European company called BAC.
Reuters obtained photos of the destroyed pagers and it showed a design with stickers on the back consistent with pagers made by Gold Apollo.
“The product was not ours. It just had our brand on it,” Gold Apollo founder and chairman Su Ching-kuang told reporters at the company’s office in New Taipei, northern Taiwan, on Wednesday, as quoted by Reuters.
PAC manufactured and sold the AR-924 model, the company said in a statement. According to a statement released by Gold Apollo on Wednesday, the pagers were manufactured by BAC Consulting Kft in the Hungarian capital.
The statement said Gold Apollo “authorised BAC to use our brand trademarks for product sales in specific regions, but the design and manufacturing of the products are solely controlled by BAC.”
Hsu had previously said the licensing company was based in Europe, but later declined to comment on BAC’s location. He said there were problems with remittances from the company.
“The remittances are very strange,” he said, adding that the money came from the Middle East. He did not elaborate.
How Mossad’s pager explosion caused massive damage in Lebanon
The blasts were relatively contained, injuring mostly people living close to the pagers. According to videos and eyewitness reports, the explosions caused minimal damage to buildings and infrastructure, but people suffered serious injuries. A security source confirmed to Reuters that most of the pagers were Colt Apollo’s AP924 model, although some other models from the same manufacturer were also used.
Gold Apollo’s founder denied any involvement, saying the company did not make the pagers used in the blasts. Instead, a European company that has the rights to use the Gold Apollo brand is responsible for their production. Despite being used for months, the embedded explosives remained undetected, forcing Hezbollah to conduct a “security and scientific investigation” into the cause of the blasts, CNN reports.
Speculation over Israel’s role
While Hezbollah has blamed Israel for the attack, Israeli officials have remained silent on the matter. While Pentagon officials have said there has been no change in the US military posture in the Middle East following the incident, the US government has also denied involvement. However, diplomatic and security sources speculated that the explosions were caused by Israeli infiltration into Hezbollah’s pager supply chain.
Amos Yatlin, the former head of Israel’s military intelligence, said Israel has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to conduct covert operations and this attack is proof of that. He said the operation was designed to “send a message” to Hezbollah’s leadership.
Israel and Hezbollah have long been in conflict
The attack is the latest escalation in a long-running conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that has intensified following last year’s Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Iran has long supported Hezbollah and periodically engages in clashes with Israeli forces. However, experts have warned that while the pager explosion is a significant blow to Hezbollah, it is unlikely to trigger a full-scale war between the two sides.
“Hezbollah could retaliate, but the risk of a full-scale war is low,” said Matthew Levitt, a former US Treasury intelligence official and author of a book on Hezbollah. He said the attack could disrupt Hezbollah’s operations for some time, create internal chaos and erode confidence in its leadership.
Lebanon Outbreak: Hezbollah’s Response and Retaliation Plans
Following the attack, Hezbollah vowed to retaliate against Israel, though it did not provide specific details on the timing or nature of its response. The group, which had long maintained an image of secrecy and security, now realized that its communications network had been compromised.
As Jonathan Panikoff reported, “This is a warning to Hezbollah. They have long relied on their internal communications systems to stay out of Israel’s reach, but this move shows they are vulnerable.” Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had previously warned members to avoid using cell phones for fear of Israeli spyware. He encouraged militants to rely on low-tech devices such as pagers to avoid detection.
The success of this covert operation is a pivotal moment in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, raising questions about Hezbollah’s future strategies and security ethics. With tensions already high in the region, the attack underscores the fragile nature of the balance between Israel and Hezbollah, opening the door for further escalation.
