On Tuesday, September 17, 2024, more than a thousand messaging devices, known as pagers, exploded simultaneously over a period of several dozen minutes. The following day, Wednesday, September 18, similar explosions hit walkie-talkies across several localities in Lebanon. These two-day attacks caused more than 30 deaths and approximately 3,500 injuries, mainly among Hezbollah members.
What is a beeper?
A pager is a mobile communication device. Pagers marked the 1980s and 1990s. Today, “certain professions continue to use them, such as security or medical professions, particularly in places where 3G, 4G or 5G cellular networks do not work.” According to the JDD, the media outlet The Conversation revealed that there are still 130,000 pagers in circulation, particularly in hospitals. These are devices that allow you to receive short messages or notifications in the form of beeps or vibrations. Still, according to the newspaper, these messages are transmitted by radio waves, which differentiates them from mobile phone messages. Using radio waves makes it possible to avoid the general public network, which is often congested, in the event of an emergency.
The pager has a long lifespan: it is equipped with batteries that guarantee a long battery life. When a pager receives a message, it emits an easily recognizable “beep”, which gives it its name. In the military field, pagers are used to communicate. Thus, it is the main communication tool of the members of the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon. “Unlike telephones, pagers do not have GPS, making them more difficult for the enemy to locate. Older, more rudimentary technologies are normally more difficult to hack.”
In an article, BBC explains that there are several types of pagers, but the most important ones are:
Receivers: Those who can receive messages or notifications from specific senders, but cannot send replies.
two-way: those that, in addition to receiving text messages, can also send replies, although their capabilities are limited compared to today’s smartphones.
These devices were used to communicate quickly in emergencies or in situations where people could not answer calls directly, which is why some healthcare professionals still use them.
Origin of the beepers
According to the New York Times, the beepers that exploded in Lebanon in question were manufactured in Taiwan by the Gold Apollo company. Thus, the main theory mentioned would be that of a “fault in the supply chain of these devices”, Amélie Ferey confided to France info. “Hezbollah modified its communication system last February, fearing Israeli infiltration via mobile phones”, explains the researcher. “They then ordered beepers from Taiwan, and explosives were allegedly hidden in these devices, then triggered remotely by Israel”, she adds. However, on Wednesday morning, the Gold Apollo company denied these accusations, specifying that these beepers had been produced and sold by its Hungarian partner, BAC.
Undetectable explosives triggered by modified pagers
According to Al Mayadeen’s revelations, the recent attack, attributed to the Israeli Mossad, used undetectable explosives, triggering shockwaves in international security circles. Sources familiar with the matter explained that the explosive material used in this highly complex operation was designed to bypass even the most advanced detection systems at airports and other checkpoints around the world. Contrary to initial speculation, the explosions were not caused by pager batteries, but by the lithium they contain, combined with advanced technology. The explosion was triggered by a signal, transmitted remotely, that activated the explosives hidden in the pagers.
These devices, “tampered with at source” via their integrated circuits, contained explosives carefully placed to maximize damage. The same sources added that pagers that were turned off or located in areas out of coverage did not explode. Older models of pagers, on the other hand, were not affected by this sophisticated attack, which underlines the degree of technological precision implemented. In addition, the explosives used, often attached to a belt, were specially designed to cause direct and fatal damage, hitting the body with destructive force.
Al Mayadeen adds that security sources have also confirmed the involvement of Mossad and Israeli military intelligence in this operation, a conclusion quickly relayed by the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon a few hours after the attack. This attack demonstrates once again the evolution of espionage and terrorism techniques, where everyday devices can be transformed into formidable weapons, escaping traditional detection systems.
Related News :