In a startling development, Israel’s Mossad reportedly executed a sophisticated operation against the Lebanese group Hezbollah by embedding explosives in thousands of pagers. According to sources familiar with the operation, the explosive devices were concealed in 5,000 pagers manufactured by a Taiwanese company and shipped to Hezbollah months before the detonations on September 17.
The operation, which represents one of the most significant security breaches Hezbollah has ever faced, resulted in the detonation of these pagers across Lebanon. The explosions caused nine deaths and injured nearly 3,000 individuals, including Hezbollah fighters and Iran’s envoy to Beirut. This incident marks the first major breach of Hezbollah’s security since the Gaza conflict began on October 7.
The pagers, which were originally ordered from the Taiwan-based company Gold Apollo, were altered at the production level by Mossad operatives. Hsu Ching-Kuang, founder of Gold Apollo, clarified that while the pagers bore his company’s brand, they were produced by a European firm with the right to use the brand. The devices were intended for low-tech communication among Hezbollah fighters who used them to evade Israeli tracking efforts.
The Mossad’s operation involved injecting a small amount of explosive material into the pagers, approximately three grams per device. The explosive charge was activated remotely when a coded message was sent to the pagers, leading to simultaneous detonations. This covert modification was reportedly undetectable by Hezbollah through conventional security measures.
Images of the destroyed pagers, analyzed by Reuters, confirm they were consistent with those made by Gold Apollo, based in Taipei. Hezbollah’s response has been one of shock and outrage, with the group vowing retaliation against Israel. Iranian-backed Hezbollah has condemned the attack, calling it a grave breach of security.
The explosions occurred amidst heightened tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, particularly following the October 7 conflict and subsequent missile barrages exchanged across the Israel-Lebanon border. Hezbollah’s Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah had previously warned supporters about the dangers posed by their phones, advising them to destroy or hide their devices. In response to the security breach, Hezbollah members, including fighters and medics, had been equipped with pagers as a temporary communication measure.
The attack on Hezbollah underscores the deep penetration of Israeli intelligence into Hezbollah’s operations. Jonathan Panikoff, a former U.S. intelligence officer, described the breach as one of the most significant counterintelligence failures for Hezbollah in decades. Despite the severity of the attack, Israeli officials have not commented on the specifics of the operation, and Gold Apollo has also refrained from further comment.
The incident has intensified concerns about a broader regional conflict involving Israel, Hezbollah, and potentially the United States and Iran. As the conflict continues to evolve, the Pager operation highlights Israel’s advanced capabilities in intelligence and covert operations against its adversaries.
