Experts are increasingly pointing to a sophisticated operation by an Israeli front company as the likely source of explosive-laden pagers and walkie-talkies that targeted Hezbollah operatives, resulting in widespread casualties this week. The devices, believed to contain small quantities of military-grade plastic explosives, were used in a series of attacks that killed 37 people and injured hundreds, including civilians.
Trevor Lawrence, head of Cranfield University’s Ordnance Test and Evaluation Centre, shared insights into the complexity of the operation, stating, “It looks like what was used was a high-grade plastic military explosive. You only need around 5g, but it is a complex job to insert them into the pagers and ensure they still worked.” Lawrence explained that while such explosives are not commercially available, they are deadly if positioned close to the head or torso, consistent with the injuries witnessed in Lebanon earlier this week.
According to a New York Times report, intelligence sources have linked the manufacturing of the sabotaged devices to an Israeli front company, which shipped seemingly ordinary pagers to unsuspecting clients. Israel, widely assumed to be behind the attack, has not officially claimed responsibility. The deadly incident, attributed to the country’s Mossad intelligence agency, targeted Hezbollah fighters, but also claimed the lives of civilians in supermarkets, hospitals, and even at a funeral for Hezbollah members.
The attacks have raised eyebrows globally, with some questioning the legality of such covert operations. “There are examples of intelligence agencies taking control of companies,” said an anonymous source, referring to the CIA and West German intelligence’s secret ownership of Crypto, which spanned decades during the Cold War. However, the operation involving these explosive devices is different in that it required mass production of covert weapons.
Bulgarian intelligence services have been investigating claims that a company called Norta Global was involved in the shipment of the explosive-laden pagers, with a Hungarian firm, BAC Consulting, reportedly acting as a front. Yet, both Bulgarian and Hungarian authorities have found little evidence of the companies’ involvement. Bulgarian security service DANS reported, “No customs operations have been carried out with the goods in question,” though investigations continue. BAC Consulting’s CEO, Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono, denied involvement, stating that her firm was merely an intermediary.
The scale of the operation has baffled many experts, who have noted the precision and planning involved. “There would be a 100 steps in an operation like this, all of which have to be perfect,” said Chuck Freilich, a former Israeli deputy national security adviser. Freilich believes the level of coordination suggests this attack could mark the beginning of a broader military escalation.
Adding to the intrigue, the Japanese manufacturer Icom, whose name appears on the IC-V82 walkie-talkies used in Wednesday’s attack, said it had stopped producing the devices a decade ago. Icom further stated that the batteries had also been discontinued, though counterfeits are known to circulate in the Middle East.
The attacks, which involved walkie-talkies as well as pagers, were notably lethal, with the walkie-talkies likely containing more explosives, accounting for the higher death toll in those attacks. Lawrence added, “More explosive is likely to have been used in the walkie-talkies,” leading to the greater number of fatalities compared to the pagers, which killed 12 people.
The incidents have brought attention to the secretive world of international espionage, raising concerns about the potential for future escalations between Israel and Hezbollah. While the full details of the operation remain under investigation, one thing is clear: the use of sabotaged devices in such a calculated manner has set a dangerous precedent for future covert actions.
