On the afternoon of September 17, 2024, local time, numerous pager (BP machine) explosions occurred in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, as well as in the southeast and northeast regions of the country. By 4:00 PM on the 18th, the Times of Israel, citing data from the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, reported that the explosions had resulted in 11 deaths, approximately 4,000 injuries, and left about 500 people blind.
On the 18th, The New York Times reported that several current and former US defense and intelligence officials claimed that Israel was behind the communication device explosions in Lebanon, an operation that had been in the making for a long time. On the 20th, ABC News also reported that sources confirmed Israel's direct involvement in the manufacture of the communication devices that exploded, with this operation having been secretly planned for at least 15 years.
It was reported that over the years, Hezbollah leader Nasrallah, out of concern for security, had been pushing for Hezbollah to abandon mobile phones in favor of pagers, which presented an opportunity for Israeli intelligence operatives. Israel had set up a shell company in Hungary years ago, masquerading as an international pager supplier, and indeed sold a series of regular pagers to its customers. However, the pagers sold to Hezbollah were separately manufactured, with high-explosive material added to them.
On the 18th, The New York Times reported that several current and former US defense and intelligence officials claimed that Israel was behind the communication device explosions in Lebanon, an operation that had been in the making for a long time. On the 20th, ABC News also reported that sources confirmed Israel's direct involvement in the manufacture of the communication devices that exploded, with this operation having been secretly planned for at least 15 years.
It was reported that over the years, Hezbollah leader Nasrallah, out of concern for security, had been pushing for Hezbollah to abandon mobile phones in favor of pagers, which presented an opportunity for Israeli intelligence operatives. Israel had set up a shell company in Hungary years ago, masquerading as an international pager supplier, and indeed sold a series of regular pagers to its customers. However, the pagers sold to Hezbollah were separately manufactured, with high-explosive material added to them.
