Cunning internet trap How Israel cleverly lured Hezbollah into buying pagers
According to a report by Reuters, there is a sophisticated plan behind the deadly pager explosions in Lebanon. Companies, websites and even YouTube videos were invented to deceive Hezbollah. Even X-ray machines failed to detect the explosives planted.
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- The Reuters news agency reports new details in connection with the deadly pager explosions in Lebanon in September.
- According to the report, Israeli agents smuggled manipulated pagers with hidden explosives into Hezbollah.
- In order to deceive Hezbollah, the pagers were advertised as powerful devices using fake online stores and websites.
- Hezbollah bought the pagers and had them tested for possible dangers. The explosives hidden in the batteries did not even show up on security scanners.
According to the international news agency Reuters, the pagers that exploded in Lebanon in September, killing or injuring numerous members of the Shiite militia Hezbollah, are part of a sophisticated plan by the Israeli secret service.
The key to the perfidious plan was hidden in the batteries of the pagers and in a large-scale Internet trap.
The pagers' batteries contained not only the usual lithium-ion cells, but also a small amount of highly explosive plastic explosive and a strip of highly flammable material that served as a detonator.
The deadly components were hidden between two battery cells inside the metal casing of the battery, making it look like an ordinary lithium-ion battery pack from the outside, as found in many other electrical devices.
Fictitious online stores and YouTube videos
The only problem: the batteries were unusually large due to the additional explosives. This apparently caused the Israeli agents to worry that the battery could attract attention during Hezbollah's "strict procurement procedures".
They therefore created fake online stores and websites and advertised the battery as a particularly powerful model with a long battery life. They even produced a 90-second promotional video on YouTube. The pagers themselves were sold as model AR-924 of the well-known Taiwanese brand "Gold Apollo", although this model did not actually exist.
The battery was labeled LI-BT783 and provided with falsified performance data. On the deceptively real-looking website "apollosystemshk.com", which has since disappeared and was also part of the deception operation, the battery was advertised with a runtime of 85 days and the option of recharging via USB. Even in online forums, supposed users discussed the battery's allegedly excellent performance.
Israeli agents also offered the pagers at an extremely low price to ensure that the Shia militia bought them. The plan worked. Hezbollah took the bait and had the pagers delivered to Lebanon in early 2024.
After the devices arrived, they were reportedly even specially tested for explosives. Hezbollah would have sent them through airport security scanners, which, however, did not detect any danger. As "Reuters" reports, Hezbollah is said to have noticed afterwards that the battery was discharging faster than expected, but this did not arouse any major suspicion.
Pagers - old-fashioned, but with certain advantages
- How pagers work: The small devices are something of a precursor to cell phones. The basic idea: if you want to talk to someone, you ping the person's pager. The person sees the phone number - or a short message - and can call back or act on the message. Pagers now use outdated radio standards and are only recipients who are not logged into a network.
- Why Hezbollah uses pagers: There is a simple reason why a militia like Hezbollah uses pagers on a large scale. Unlike cell phones or smartphones, their location cannot be determined. Meanwhile, activating all pagers in an area at the same time is not a problem.
- These manufacturers are involved: The exploded pagers bore the logo of the Taiwanese company Gold Apollo. The company has denied manufacturing the affected AR-924 model devices. The company BAC Consulting KFT, based in Budapest, with which an agreement on the use of trademark rights exists, is responsible for this. The Hungarian company also denied production.
39 dead, over 3400 injured
Several months later, on September 17, Israel detonated the pager bombs. The explosions were triggered by a special message that activated the hidden detonator. The explosions usually occurred after the pagers had beeped for an incoming message - the Israeli aim was to get the victims to pick up the devices and bring them closer to their bodies.
Many victims suffered eye injuries, lost fingers or sustained serious abdominal injuries. In total, 39 people were killed and over 3400 injured in the pager attacks and another attack the following day using manipulated walkie-talkies.
Western security circles assume that the Israeli secret service Mossad was behind the attacks. Hezbollah launched an internal investigation to uncover the security breach and identify possible moles.
As a result of the attacks, Hezbollah is now unable to use cell phones, pagers or radios, which makes communication and coordination within the organization considerably more difficult.
The attacks led to an escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which have been engaged in open warfare since October 8, 2023.