Israel's covert operation to undermine Hezbollah began with a weaponized pager, containing a cleverly disguised explosive device. The pagers, sent to Lebanon earlier this year, carried batteries with an ingenious hidden charge and an undetectable detonator, designed to fool security checks and Hezbollah’s scrutiny.

According to a Lebanese source with firsthand knowledge, the pagers housed batteries with six grams of PETN plastic explosive, neatly sandwiched between two battery cells. This explosive setup was hidden inside a black plastic sleeve, and the entire assembly was encased in a metal casing roughly the size of a matchbox. Unlike typical devices, these lacked metal components, making the explosive invisible to X-ray scanners. Even after Hezbollah tested the pagers using airport security scanners, no alarms were triggered, raising no immediate suspicion.

To ensure credibility, Israeli agents crafted an elaborate backstory, including fake online stores and product pages to deceive Hezbollah’s due diligence. The devices were marketed as consumer electronics under a fake model name, AR-924, under the Taiwanese brand Gold Apollo.

The ploy worked. Hezbollah accepted the pagers, only noting that their batteries drained faster than expected. However, this minor issue did not raise security concerns, and the group continued distributing the pagers. On September 17, thousands of the devices simultaneously exploded in Hezbollah strongholds, killing 39 people and injuring over 3,400 others. Many victims suffered severe injuries, including eye damage and missing fingers.

The attack marked a significant blow to Hezbollah and pushed the region closer to conflict. Western security sources confirmed that the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad led the operation, although Israeli officials have neither confirmed nor denied their involvement. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s praise for Mossad's "very impressive" results was seen as a tacit acknowledgment of the agency's role.

The operation also involved the use of weaponized walkie-talkies, which caused further casualties the following day. While Israel has remained silent, the meticulous execution of this covert operation demonstrates the extensive planning and deception involved in targeting Hezbollah.

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