On September 17, a wave of explosions plunged Lebanon into chaos. Dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of beepers, electronic messaging devices that require neither a SIM card nor an internet connection, detonated in multiple locations across the country. At least 11 people were killed and more than 3,000 wounded, the vast majority civilians. This devastating and indiscriminate attack, unprecedented in scale, emerged from a well-planned operation conducted over years by Israeli intelligence aimed at dismantling Hizballah. A month later, new details emerged about how Mossad managed to mislead Hizballah, the world’s most powerful paramilitary group.
Early in 2024, Hasan Nasrallah, the Shiite political and social leader in Lebanon, warned that his mobile communications were being monitored by Israeli surveillance. He then turned to beepers for his communications, humble devices that looked like they could help dodge monitoring. Aware of that opening, intelligence operatives devised a strategy to manufacture bomb-laden beepers and slip them into Hizballah’s pockets.
Although the plot remains shrouded in questions, sources familiar with the matter describe how agents crafted beepers that concealed a small yet potent explosive charge. The explosive material was PETN, a highly combustible compound. The planners devised a detonator with no wires or metal parts that could slip past Hizballah’s X-ray scanners used to detect tampered devices.
Global Cover
The Mossad’s initial move was to repurpose the beepers into timed devices. The second, essential step, was delivering them into Hizballah’s hands. To do so, a layered cover story was built. Two individuals, allegedly undercover operatives, persuaded the Taiwan-based company Gold Apollo to grant a license for the tainted model created in Tel Aviv, code-named AR-924. The company added photos and a product description to its website, unknowingly helping validate the explosive gadget used by the operatives. The firm’s president, Hsu Ching-kuang, says they fell victim to the scheme.
Once in the market, the intelligence operation rolled out a clever campaign to promote the altered beeper without raising suspicion. Agents created a website in the name of a fictitious company, opened illicit online stores distributing the device, and posted fake user reviews praising its performance. Those portals vanished after Hizballah’s attack.
“Spycraft has long relied on build-up stories, or legends, to mislead. What makes the busca tale unusual is that these skills appear to have been applied to everyday consumer electronics”, the investigation notes.
But how did the model reach Hizballah? Lebanese investigators allege that Mossad operatives disguised as commercial agents used a forceful sales approach, offering the beeper at a very low price and driving the price down until Hizballah was drawn in. Hizballah continues to investigate the events surrounding the case.