Israel linked to manufacturing pagers that exploded in Lebanon, killing 37: Report

Israel has been linked to the manufacturing of pager devices that exploded across Lebanon , killing 37 people and injuring nearly 3,000. The devices, used by Hezbollah operatives, were reportedly tampered with in a covert operation aimed at disrupting the group’s communications.

The operation, described as a “supply chain interdiction,” had been planned for over 15 years, ABC news reported quoting US intelligence sources. It involved multiple layers of Israeli intelligence, shell companies, and assets working under the guise of a legitimate company to produce the booby-trapped pagers. Many of those involved in the operation were reportedly unaware of who they were working for.

The pagers, which detonated across supermarkets, streets, and even funerals in Lebanon, were linked to a Hungary-based intermediary company called BAC Consulting. This company, as confirmed by intelligence reports and sources, acted as a front for Israeli interests, ABC said. While BAC Consulting has no operational or manufacturing facilities in Hungary, it was involved in the distribution of the pagers, according to a Hungarian government spokesperson who spoke to ABC News.

“These pagers were never manufactured in Hungary, and the company was merely a trading intermediary,” the spokesperson clarified, distancing Hungary from the explosive devices.

The devices were reportedly manufactured on behalf of Taiwanese company Gold Apollo , but the intricate booby-trapping was believed to have taken place much earlier in the supply chain, possibly by Israeli intelligence operatives.

Preliminary findings from Lebanese investigators also back up these claims as the report indicates that the pagers were booby-trapped before arriving in Lebanon, with emails triggering the explosions.

The investigation revealed that "the targeted devices were professionally booby-trapped... before arriving in Lebanon, and were detonated by sending emails to the devices," the nation's UN delegation to the UN agreed in a letter.

According to Reuters, a Hezbollah-affiliated source claimed that the pagers had been "sabotaged at source" and had been imported recently.

Part of a broader operation

The explosion of the pagers coincided with a series of intensified military operations between Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group operating in Lebanon. Hezbollah has been engaged in daily exchanges of fire with Israeli forces since October 7, when Hamas initiated an attack on Israel from Gaza.

Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon continued on Thursday, with Israeli jets targeting rocket launchers and other military infrastructure used by Hezbollah. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) announced that it had struck 100 rocket launchers and hundreds of rocket barrels prepared for immediate launch into Israel.

“The IDF will continue to degrade Hezbollah’s infrastructure and capabilities in order to defend the State of Israel,” read an official IDF statement following the strikes.

Nasrallah struck a defiant tone during a televised address, vowing retribution against Israel for what he described as a “massacre” and an “act of war.” He promised Israel would face “tough retribution and just punishment, where it expects it and where it does not.”