The Explosive Sabotage of Hezbollah’s Communication Network: What We Know So Far

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Lebanon was rocked by a series of coordinated explosions that targeted Hezbollah’s communication devices, killing 26 and injuring thousands. The attacks, which involved detonating pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members, mark a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. While Hezbollah has openly blamed Israel for the attacks, Israel has declined to comment.

How the Attacks Unfolded

The explosions were carried out using pagers and walkie-talkies that had been tampered with long before they were used by Hezbollah. According to Lebanese security sources, a new batch of 5,000 pagers ordered by Hezbollah was embedded with tiny explosive devices that could be remotely activated. These devices, believed to have been modified by Israeli intelligence, were designed to be almost impossible to detect by scanners or other detection systems.

A key feature of the attack was the timing. A coded message, believed to have come from Hezbollah leadership, was sent to the pagers at 3:30 PM local time on Tuesday. This message, however, triggered the explosives within the devices. Security footage and videos circulating on social media show victims looking at their pagers moments before they exploded, underscoring the brutal and calculated nature of the attack.

The Role of Israeli Intelligence

While Israel has not officially confirmed its involvement, multiple sources indicate that Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, was responsible for planting the explosives in the devices. Mossad has a reputation for executing covert operations of this nature, and the level of sophistication required to pull off such an attack aligns with its known capabilities.

A senior Lebanese security official disclosed that the explosives were embedded during the production phase of the devices. The pagers were manufactured by Gold Apollo, a Taiwan-based company, though the devices that exploded were reportedly produced by BAC Consulting, a Hungarian firm with licensing rights to the Gold Apollo brand. This multi-layered supply chain highlights the complexity of the operation and the lengths to which Israeli intelligence went to infiltrate Hezbollah’s procurement process.

The walkie-talkie devices used in the Wednesday attacks were also tampered with before being brought into Lebanon. Manufactured by ICOM, a Japanese company, these devices were bought by Hezbollah months before the explosions occurred. Investigators are still working to determine exactly how the explosives were planted in the devices.

Hezbollah’s Response

The attacks have sent shockwaves through Hezbollah, which prides itself on its operational security. Pagers, which are considered lower-tech than mobile phones, are favored by Hezbollah because they do not emit a signal that can be easily tracked. Unlike mobile phones, pagers do not constantly communicate with cell towers, making them harder to trace. However, Hezbollah clearly did not anticipate that the devices themselves could be sabotaged and turned into weapons.

Jonathan Panikoff, a former US government intelligence officer, described the attacks as the “biggest counterintelligence failure that Hezbollah has had in decades.” For Hezbollah, which has long positioned itself as a powerful and well-organized militant group, the attack represents not just a military defeat but a devastating blow to its credibility.

The Fallout from the Attacks

In addition to the immediate loss of life and injuries, the attacks have left Hezbollah scrambling to assess the full extent of the security breach. The use of communication devices as weapons has introduced a new level of vulnerability for the group. While Hezbollah has vowed retaliation, the group now faces the daunting task of rebuilding its communication infrastructure and restoring trust among its ranks.

As Israel expands its military operations against Hezbollah along the Lebanon border, the attacks on the communication devices may represent just the beginning of a broader campaign to weaken the group’s operational capabilities.