BEIRUT. Thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah in Lebanon detonated on Tuesday, leaving a trail of destruction that stretches from Taiwan to Hungary. The explosions, which killed twelve and injured nearly 3,000 people, including Hezbollah fighters and the Iranian envoy to Beirut, have raised tensions in the Middle East, with Israeli involvement suspected.
According to a senior Lebanese security source, Israel’s Mossad planted explosives inside the pagers months prior, as part of an unprecedented breach of Hezbollah’s security. The operation targeted Hezbollah fighters across Lebanon, with pagers exploding in unison after a coded message was sent.
The source revealed that the pagers, imported from Taiwan-based Gold Apollo, were manufactured by BAC Consulting, a company in Budapest, Hungary. In a statement, Gold Apollo denied involvement in the devices’ modification, clarifying, “The product was not ours. It was only that it had our brand on it.”
BAC Consulting, whose activities range from IT consulting to crude oil extraction, has remained silent. Its CEO, Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono, did not respond to requests for comment. The Hungarian company is registered at a mostly residential address in Budapest, with no clear physical presence.
Israel’s Mossad Involvement Suspected
Lebanese officials believe that Mossad inserted explosive materials into the pagers at the production level, making detection nearly impossible. “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,” said the senior Lebanese security source.
The detonation occurred after about 3,000 of the pagers received the coded activation, unleashing chaos and bloodshed across Hezbollah-controlled areas. A Hezbollah official described the attack as “the group’s biggest security breach” in its history, admitting the devices had gone undetected for months.
Hezbollah has relied on low-tech communication methods, such as pagers, to avoid Israeli surveillance. This vulnerability appears to have been exploited in a highly coordinated Mossad operation, part of a series of attacks against Hezbollah and Hamas since the beginning of the Gaza conflict.
Hezbollah’s Response and Escalating Tensions
Following the attack, Hezbollah vowed retaliation against Israel. In a statement on Wednesday, the group declared, “The resistance will continue today, like any other day, its operations to support Gaza, its people, and its resistance, which is a separate path from the harsh punishment that the criminal enemy (Israel) should await in response to Tuesday’s massacre.”
With escalating exchanges of fire along the Israel-Lebanon border and continued Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, the threat of a regional war looms large. “Hezbollah wants to avoid an all-out war,” said Mohanad Hage Ali of the Carnegie Middle East Center. “But given the scale, the impact on families, on civilians, there will be pressure for a stronger response.”
The sophisticated nature of the attack underscores Mossad’s reputation for executing complex operations, stretching back to high-profile assassinations and sabotage missions, including the killing of a top Iranian scientist in 2020.
As the Middle East edges closer to a broader conflict, this attack serves as a stark reminder of the intricate espionage and countermeasures at play in the volatile region.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
