In a sophisticated operation, Mossad is suspected of orchestrating a series of targeted explosions involving pagers used by Hezbollah leadership in Lebanon.
The devices, reportedly part of a shipment received by the militant group about five months ago, had been secretly tampered with to include explosives, resulting in deadly detonations.
The use of pagers in modern times is itself rare, making the large shipment highly suspicious. Intelligence sources suggest that Mossad, which has access to airport and shipping manifests, may have flagged the shipment early, allowing them to intercept the devices before they reached Hezbollah.
How the Attack Was Engineered
Initial reports suggest that the pagers, while appearing normal, had been rigged with PETN—a powerful explosive—hidden within their lithium-ion batteries. PETN’s presence allowed the explosives to be remotely triggered, turning the pagers into deadly devices.
This type of operation required physical access to the pagers before shipment, likely enabling Mossad to install a flat explosive package directly onto the battery, all while keeping the devices functional to avoid detection during routine checks.
Experts indicate that a firmware update may have been used to trigger the explosions via a specific code or number, echoing previous Mossad operations where mobile devices were similarly sabotaged.
The explosions videos on social media resemble shape charges, aimed directly at the wearer, causing targeted injuries or fatalities while the batteries themselves exploded rather than burned, experts have pointed out.
The attack’s complexity suggests that Mossad leveraged their expertise in both cyber and physical warfare, likely involving Unit 8200, Israel’s cyber intelligence division. Unit 8200 is believed to have played a key role in previous cyber sabotage missions, such as the Stuxnet virus attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
In this case, malware or firmware updates could have been used to remotely control the lithium batteries, overheating them on command and triggering the explosives embedded within.
Difficulties in Detection and Execution
Experts have highlighted the technical challenges of using lithium-ion batteries as a trigger for explosives. While it’s possible for these batteries to release all their energy at once, the complex sequence of events required to cause such a reaction remotely is highly unlikely without altering the device’s firmware or hardware.
Mossad’s operatives likely introduced such modifications, making the attack possible.
A Lebanese security source speaking to Al Jazeera confirmed that the radios Hezbollah had received were tampered with in advance, with each device containing no more than 20 grams of explosives.
Investigators are still determining how the bombs were remotely activated, though a signal or specific code sent through Hezbollah’s encrypted communication network is suspected.
The pagers were not off-the-shelf devices but altered to function with Hezbollah’s new encrypted communication system, which the group had reportedly adopted in February 2024. This allowed Mossad to execute a highly targeted supply chain compromise. The devices would still function as regular pagers, only slightly heavier than unaltered ones, until the moment of detonation.
A High-Tech, Targeted Attack
The operation reflects Mossad’s advanced capabilities in blending cyber warfare with kinetic action. The just-in-time supply chain interdiction seen here shows a careful calculation, with explosive materials added to the pagers at a critical point before reaching their final users.
Mossad’s reported tactic of sending a detonation command via a regular page follows their known method of sabotaging mobile devices, adding another layer of sophistication to the attack.
The incident has raised serious questions about Hezbollah’s security practices and the vulnerability of its encrypted networks to such highly targeted strikes. It serves as a stark reminder of the growing fusion between traditional intelligence operations and cutting-edge cyber warfare.
As investigations continue into the exact methods used to trigger the explosions, it seems clear that this was no ordinary sabotage attempt. Mossad’s use of both cyber and physical tactics to infiltrate Hezbollah’s communication systems underscores their technological prowess and determination to neutralize perceived threats with precision.
