Coordinated pager blasts in Lebanon: Hezbollah blames Israel

The BBC service reported on a series of coordinated pager explosions in Lebanon on September 17, emphasising that physical attacks on electronic equipment are sporadic. Citing experts, the station stated that small explosive charges were most likely placed in the devices.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced that at least eight people had been killed as a result of the pager explosions, and over 2,800 had been injured, with about 200 in critical condition. The victims included members of Hezbollah, who blamed Israel for the attack and vowed retaliation. Israeli authorities declined to comment.

An anonymous expert who previously served in the British army told the BBC that the devices most likely contained 10-20 grams of explosive materials for military applications, and the charges were then remotely activated.

Shortly after the attack, reports indicated that "given the nature of the explosion and the type of pager involved, it is plausible that a small Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP) was embedded within each device." However, speculation arose about the stage at which the interference with the pagers could have occurred: during the devices' production, transport, or storage.

"A breach of this magnitude is not only physically harmful, but will also make them question their entire security apparatus. I would expect to see them conduct an intensive internal investigation that will distract them from a potential fight with Israel," explained former CIA analyst Emily Harding to the BBC.

A pager is a small wireless electronic device used to communicate through short text messages displayed on a screen.

Lina Khatib, director of the Middle East Institute at the University of London, wrote on social media that "Hezbollah’s main challenge is that Israel’s precision targeting shows how Israel has thoroughly penetrated the group's communications. Unless and until that penetration ends, Israel will have the upper hand."

The BBC commented that cyberattacks are becoming increasingly significant in modern conflicts, although they usually involve software. Attacks targeting hardware are very rare and require significant resources and access to devices, such as in factories.

Since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, Iran-backed Hezbollah has been regularly shelling northern Israel, which has been met with counterattacks. The situation on the Israel-Hezbollah front is increasingly tense, and media speculate that authorities in Jerusalem may decide on a ground operation in southern Lebanon.