The explosions of hundreds of pagers used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon and Syria are being described as a sophisticated attack that likely required months of planning. As a result, at least 37 people were killed, including two children, and over 3,000 others were wounded. Experts believe that the supply chain was infiltrated and that the pagers were rigged with explosives before being imported to Lebanon. Little evidence has emerged so far to shed light on the perpetrators of these deadly attacks.
The origins of the pagers used in the bombings can be traced from Taiwan to Budapest before eventually ending up in Lebanon. The pager brand involved, AR-924, was licensed to a Hungarian-based company, BAC Consulting KFT. The Taiwanese Ministry of Economic Affairs stated they had no records of direct exports of Gold Apollo pagers to Lebanon. Additionally, Hungarian officials clarified that the pager devices had never been in Hungary, adding that BAC was solely an intermediary in the process. sophisticated.
The second wave of electronic devices detonated by Hezbollah, including walkie-talkies and solar equipment, remains shrouded in mystery with few details known. The walkie-talkies that exploded were knock-off products of an Icom, a Japanese walkie-talkie maker, and were not made by the company. Hezbollah has long used pagers for communication, as they are considered simpler and carry lower risks of intercepted communications compared to cell phones. The group’s leader recently urged members to stop using cell phones entirely due to concerns over Israeli intelligence tracking.
Despite the lack of concrete evidence, both attacks are widely believed to have been carried out by Israel, with Hezbollah and Lebanon pointing fingers at the country shortly after the explosions occurred. A senior U.S. official confirmed to Fox News that Israel was behind the pager explosions. While U.S. officials have denied any involvement or prior knowledge of the attacks, concerns about an escalation into all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah have deepened due to the bombings.
Experts believe that the pager operation was likely conducted by Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, the Mossad, which is known for its formidable reputation as an intelligence agency. While U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the U.S. did not know about or participate in the attacks, he emphasized the importance of all parties avoiding actions that could further escalate the conflict. With tensions high following the explosions, there is a heightened concern about the potential for a broader conflict involving Israel, Hezbollah, and other parties in the region.