Earlier today (September 17, 2024), a bizarre and unprecedented incident unfolded across Lebanon, particularly affecting Hezbollah operatives. Hundreds of specialized old-fashioned pagers, which had been adopted by Hezbollah for secure communication as they aren’t as easy to track as smartphones, suddenly turned into unexpected hazards.
These devices, reportedly part of a new shipment, pinged simultaneously and a few seconds later, exploded. The explosions were not just isolated incidents but occurred simultaneously in areas with strong Hezbollah presence, including southern Beirut and the Beqaa Valley, as well as reaching into Damascus where Hezbollah members were also affected.
This operation by Israel, reportedly executed by Mossad, to infiltrate Hezbollah’s pager supply chain, implant explosives, and execute a simultaneous detonation, showcases an extraordinary level of intelligence gathering, logistical precision, and operational secrecy, highlighting the sophisticated capabilities of a ruthless Israeli intelligence. The operation, while incredible in its planning and stealth, was indiscriminate and could have affected bystanders, fellow passengers and other vehicles and any number of civilians, including children.
🚨Just in: Hundreds of members of Hezbollah, including fighters and medics, were seriously wounded after the pagers they use to communicate exploded. Israel allegedly hacked the pagers and blew them up remotely in an incredible operation never seen before.pic.twitter.com/nA1m0meowV
— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) September 17, 2024
The aftermath saw not only physical injuries but also a significant blow to Hezbollah’s operational security and morale. The use of pagers, seen as a throwback to older, supposedly more secure communication methods, backfired spectacularly, leading to widespread panic and chaos. This event has sparked discussions on the vulnerabilities of communication technologies in warfare, the lengths to which intelligence operations might go, and the ongoing technological arms race between Hezbollah and its adversaries.
It’s reported that possibly over a thousand Hezbollah terrorists were killed or injured when a cyberattack on their secure cellphones and pagers caused them to explode.
— Cheryl E 🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱🎗️ (@CherylWroteIt) September 17, 2024
It’s almost… biblical.
Kaboom đź’Ą pic.twitter.com/QmK4tJyUsr
Hamas thought switching from cell phones, which can be triangulated and tracked, to pagers was a safe mode for communications. Even if there is a relatively low percentages of casualties, now something. – Mossad – has forced them to switch to something else.
The pagers are generally kept in their pockets.
— 𝗡𝗶𝗼𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗴 â™› ✡︎ (@NiohBerg) September 17, 2024
This means Israel is literally blowing off Hezbollah testicles all across Lebanon today. Hundreds of them.
Well deserved.
pic.twitter.com/uzKvjDa6DA
Is this how it went down?
🗒️I wanted to give a little insight into what this operation could have looked like and how complex, innovative, and audacious it was. Please sit back and enjoy the story.
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) September 17, 2024
If we start from the very beginning, Israel would have to know that Hezbollah was planning on switching…
Unconfirmed
According to Officials briefed on the matter who spoke with the New York Times; the Thousands of Encrypted Pagers which Exploded today in Lebanon, resulting in Hundreds of Hezbollah Members to be Killed or Critically Injured, were Imported into Lebanon by the Taiwanese-Based… pic.twitter.com/OUrCq8Yk2C
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) September 17, 2024