Thousands of pagers exploded simultaneously, dozens lost their lives: Details of the operation revealed

The US newspaper The Washington Post has obtained unknown details of the plans made by Israeli intelligence for this action. It was emphasized that information for this report was gathered from intelligence officers in the US, Israel, and Arab countries, as well as from Lebanese officials and individuals close to Hezbollah.

According to Independent Türkçe, the report states that the initial preparations for the operation date back to 2015, and that booby-trapped radios began to be provided to Hezbollah during that period. For 9 years, Israeli intelligence monitored Hezbollah's operations using these devices.

It was stated that the pagers produced in Israel in 2022 were infiltrated into the supply chain of the Taiwan-based company Gold Apollo without its knowledge and sold to Hezbollah with the claim that "Israel cannot monitor these." 

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that a marketing agent with good ties to the organization managed to sell the goods to Hezbollah by arguing that the model with a larger battery was better than the standard version. 

'ENCRYPTED MESSAGE WILL ARRIVE'

One of the most striking elements in the new report was the notification sent to Hezbollah members before the devices were detonated: "An encrypted message will arrive."

Because these messages required pressing two buttons at once, a significant portion of the Hezbollah members who were holding the pager with both hands lost both of their limbs.

Previous reports had informed the world public that the devices, which had been in Hezbollah's possession for a long time, contained explosives and tracking devices. 

Hezbollah began distributing the pagers in February. The distribution was still ongoing even on the day the attack took place. However, as the intensity of the clashes with Lebanon increased, Israeli intelligence, fearing that the covert operation would be exposed, wanted to take the final step.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The Washington Post reports that even high-level officials in Israel were only informed of the plan a day or two before it was carried out. 

Simultaneous explosions occurred in devices used by Hezbollah elements in Lebanon and Syria.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced that 9 people, including one child, had lost their lives, and approximately 2,800 people, about 200 of whom were in critical condition, had been injured.

The Washington Post reports that, according to estimates by intelligence agencies in the US, Israel, and Middle Eastern countries, nearly 3,000 Hezbollah members behind the front lines were killed or maimed. The total number of civilians harmed is unknown. 

Tensions have been observed to increase in recent days in the clashes on the Israel-Lebanon border, which have been ongoing since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023.