Lagatar24 Desk
Beirut: At least nine people, including an 8-year-old girl, were killed, and nearly 3,000 were injured when pagers used by Hezbollah members detonated simultaneously across Lebanon on Tuesday. The explosions are being linked to a sophisticated operation allegedly carried out by Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad. While Israel has not claimed responsibility, a senior Lebanese security source revealed to Reuters that the explosives were likely planted inside the devices by Mossad.
The United States had been informed by Israel of an impending military operation in Lebanon ahead of the blasts, according to a source briefed on the matter. However, details of the operation were not shared at the time. The blasts occurred against the backdrop of ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah, backed by Iran, and Israel, which escalated after the Gaza conflict in October last year.
How the Operation Was Executed
The detonations on Tuesday marked the culmination of a months-long, meticulously planned operation by Mossad to target Hezbollah members en masse. According to a New York Times report citing 12 current and former intelligence officials, the operation involved planting explosives inside 5,000 pagers that had been imported by Hezbollah.
The pagers, originally manufactured by Taiwan-based Gold Apollo, were sold under the brand of a European company. Gold Apollo, however, has denied producing the explosive-laden devices.
The operation reportedly began much earlier, with Mossad establishing shell companies to conceal the identities of Israeli intelligence officers. One such company, Hungary-based B.A.C Consulting, posed as an international pager producer. This firm, along with other shell companies, manufactured pagers and supplied them to Hezbollah in small batches starting in 2022.
The operation was set in motion as Hezbollah had begun using pagers for communication, following advice from their leader, Hassan Nasrallah, to avoid cell phones, which Israel could exploit for surveillance. As a result, Hezbollah members increasingly relied on pagers, unaware that some of these devices had been tampered with.
How the Blasts Were Triggered
According to sources familiar with the operation, the explosives were concealed within the batteries of the pagers. On Tuesday, Israeli operatives sent messages in Arabic, appearing to come from Hezbollah’s senior leadership, which triggered the devices to explode. The pagers were rigged to detonate as soon as the recipients attempted to view the messages, leading to widespread casualties.
This targeted operation further heightens tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, with the latter vowing to retaliate for what it calls a significant “security breach.”
Hezbollah’s Response
Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has been involved in ongoing skirmishes with Israeli forces since last year’s Gaza conflict, has promised retaliation. Hezbollah has condemned the blasts as a direct attack on their ranks, and the group’s leadership has been vocal in its vow to respond to the losses inflicted on their fighters and supporters.
The simultaneous pager explosions are the latest in a series of escalations between the two adversaries, raising concerns of a broader conflict in the region.
