Hezbollah Device Blasts: How Did Pagers and Walkie-Talkies Explode?

 

In a stunning and unprecedented breach of security, thousands of pagers and walkie-talkie radios used by Hezbollah members detonated across Lebanon in a series of explosions, killing 26 and wounding thousands more. This attack, which occurred on both Tuesday and Wednesday, left Lebanon's healthcare system overwhelmed, with hospitals flooded with victims, and a field hospital had to be set up in the southern city of Tyre to cope with the medical emergency.

Hezbollah has blamed Israel for orchestrating the explosions, a claim that Israel has neither confirmed nor denied. However, the blasts came just hours after the Israeli military announced its expanded strategy in its war against Hezbollah along the Lebanon border, following the Hamas attacks of October 7. While no official details have been confirmed by Israel, multiple reports suggest that this attack represents a calculated and highly sophisticated blow to Hezbollah’s communication network.

The Mechanics of the Explosions

While the exact methodology remains shrouded in mystery, security experts have begun piecing together the means by which this audacious attack was carried out. According to a senior Lebanese security source, the explosives were embedded within a new batch of 5,000 pagers recently purchased by Hezbollah. Israeli intelligence, likely through its notorious Mossad agency, is suspected of tampering with the pagers before they reached Lebanon. A tiny, undetectable explosive board was inserted into each device, which could be remotely triggered via a coded message.

One American official, speaking anonymously to the New York Times, corroborated this information. They confirmed that explosive material had been placed next to the pager’s battery and could be remotely detonated by a switch when the signal was received. At 3:30 PM local time on Tuesday, the pagers received what appeared to be a routine message from Hezbollah leadership, but it was actually the signal that activated the explosives. Disturbing videos shared online show victims inspecting their pagers moments before the explosions, unaware of the danger they were in.

As for the walkie-talkie devices, less information has surfaced about how those explosions were triggered. However, a Lebanese security source stated that Hezbollah purchased them around the same time as the pagers, and it appears the explosives were also embedded before they reached Lebanon.

The Devices Behind the Attack

The devices involved in the attack have garnered significant attention from investigators. The pagers used by Hezbollah were reportedly manufactured by Taiwan-based company Gold Apollo, though further reports indicate that they were brought into Lebanon months before the explosions. Investigations have revealed that the pagers were actually produced by BAC Consulting, a company based in Hungary with the rights to use Gold Apollo’s brand. It is still unclear whether BAC Consulting had any knowledge of the tampering.

The walkie-talkies in question were identified as ICOM devices, manufactured in Japan. ICOM has acknowledged reports of its products being involved in the attack and is currently investigating how the tampering occurred. Production of the walkie-talkie model used in the explosions, the IC-V82, had been discontinued in 2014, but Hezbollah’s purchase of these older models highlights the covert nature of the procurement process.

Hezbollah’s Communication Tactics

Hezbollah’s reliance on pagers and walkie-talkies, rather than mobile phones, stems from the group's desire to avoid surveillance. Mobile phones are easily trackable due to their constant communication with network masts, which enable accurate location tracking. Hezbollah members often use pagers because they receive signals without "pinging" a network, making them harder to trace.

The group’s choice to use walkie-talkies, which also transmit via radio frequencies, stems from similar concerns. Walkie-talkies are more difficult to track than mobile phones, though not entirely immune to interception. Experts believe Hezbollah did not anticipate these devices being turned into weapons, representing a significant intelligence failure for the militant group.

This attack underscores both the sophistication of Israeli intelligence operations and the potential vulnerabilities in Hezbollah’s communication infrastructure. While Hezbollah vows retaliation, the security breach may mark one of its most humiliating defeats in recent history.