Reuters: Israel Had Planted Explosives in Hezbollah-Ordered Pagers Months Ago

On Wednesday, September 28, Reuters reported, citing informed sources, that Israel's intelligence and special operations agency, Mossad, had planted small amounts of explosives inside 5,000 Taiwanese-made pagers ordered by Hezbollah months before the explosions on Tuesday. Thousands of pager devices exploded in various regions of Lebanon on Tuesday, particularly in southern Beirut and southern Lebanon, two areas heavily influenced by Hezbollah, resulting in around 3,000 injuries. Lebanese officials and the two militant groups, Hezbollah and Hamas, along with their supporter, the Islamic Republic, have pointed fingers at Israel. However, Israel has not yet claimed responsibility for the explosions. Earlier, the New York Times reported, citing unnamed officials, that the pagers ordered by Hezbollah from the company Gold Apollo in Taiwan had been tampered with before reaching Lebanon. According to this report, two of these officials stated that explosives weighing one to two ounces (28 to 56 grams) were embedded alongside the pager's battery, with a switch included for remotely activating the explosives. Additionally, sources from the New York Times indicated that the pagers received a message at 3:30 PM on Tuesday that appeared to be sent by Hezbollah's leadership but was actually a message to activate the explosives inside the pagers. The New York Times emphasized that American officials and other informed sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the operation. Several of these officials stated that more than 3,000 pagers were ordered from Gold Apollo, and after delivery, Hezbollah distributed them among its members in Lebanon, with some also reaching Hezbollah's allies in Iran and Syria. Faras Abiad, Lebanon's Minister of Health, stated on Wednesday, September 28, that the death toll from the pager explosions in the country had risen to 12, with reports indicating that the condition of 200 of the injured was 'critical.' Many of the dead and injured were members of the Hezbollah militant group, which is supported by the Islamic Republic. Mikko Hypponen, a research specialist at the software company WithSecure and a cybercrime consultant for Europol, stated that 'the pagers were likely modified in such a way as to create these types of explosions; the size and power of the explosion indicate it was not just the battery.' The Associated Press also reported on Tuesday that the exploded pagers had been recently purchased following a directive from Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, to the group's members to stop using their mobile phones. Hassan Nasrallah had warned that Hezbollah members' mobile phones could be tracked by Israeli intelligence. Meanwhile, a senior Lebanese security source claimed that the Israeli Mossad had implanted explosives inside 5,000 pagers. According to this Lebanese security source, when an encoded message was sent to the pagers, 3,000 pagers exploded simultaneously, activating the explosives inside them. Meanwhile, the United States on Tuesday, following the explosions of thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon, urged the Islamic Republic to avoid actions that would lead to 'further instability' and 'increased tensions.' Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, told reporters, 'We urge the Islamic Republic of Iran not to exploit any incident to create further instability and increase tensions in the region.' Mr. Miller added that the U.S. 'had no involvement' in the pager explosions in Lebanon and was not previously aware of the situation. According to CNN, he referred to the explosions as an 'incident' rather than an 'attack' and noted that the U.S. is gathering information regarding the matter. Hezbollah Lebanon was established in 1982 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Several countries, including the United States, Israel, Germany, Serbia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Australia, have recognized the group as a terrorist organization. Recognizing Hezbollah Lebanon as a terrorist organization means not distinguishing between its political and military branches and labeling both branches as terrorist entities.