Reports indicate that each explosion of pagers detonated in Lebanon on Tuesday, injuring numerous Hezbollah operatives, was deliberately triggered, with the attackers aware of their specific targets, their locations, and the presence of others nearby, according to Israel’s Channel 12.
The channel’s extensive coverage cites Israeli and international sources, stating that the attackers were meticulous in ensuring that only the pager’s owner would be harmed. An unnamed foreign security official remarked, “Each pager had its own arrangements. That’s how it was possible to control who was hit and who wasn’t.”
The report details that the assailants knew the individuals accompanying the targets to prevent civilian injuries, referencing footage where a man appeared to be killed by his pager next to a produce stand. “They knew who he was with and where he was, so that the vegetable seller in the supermarket would not be hurt” when the pager went off.
Channel 12 adds several fresh insights about the unprecedented incident, which Hezbollah has attributed to Israel, although the latter has not officially confirmed its involvement. An unnamed foreign security source claimed that “tens of thousands of pagers” were manufactured, designed to function normally so that users would not suspect any tampering. The devices needed to look and feel like standard pagers.
Ronen Bergman, an investigative journalist for The New York Times and Yedioth Ahronoth, stated in the report that the entire operation was conceived by an exceptionally talented female intelligence operative, under 30 years old, situated somewhere in the Middle East.
According to the report, those behind the plan established a factory to create the devices from the ground up, ensuring that “it won’t be a device that we will tamper with; it will be a device that we will produce.” This conclusion was also echoed by The New York Times in its Thursday article.
The ability to provide these devices to Hezbollah was aided by the group’s inability to make direct purchases in the market due to suppliers’ concerns over U.S. sanctions, forcing them to rely on intermediaries for their needs.
Channel 12 further mentions that following a request from IDF and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to target Hezbollah on October 10, instead of focusing solely on Hamas after the October 7 invasion and massacre, “it is reasonable to assume” that the detonation of these devices would have occurred, likely followed by significant airstrikes against Hezbollah.
In reality, the IDF prioritized operations in Gaza, while Hezbollah continued to launch attacks on northern Israel.
The report, which has been vetted by Israeli military censors, states that Hezbollah acquired more pagers after the death of its military chief, Fuad Shukr, in a targeted IDF strike in Beirut last July. This incident led to a broader usage of pagers within the organization, stemming from its increasing caution regarding mobile phone communications. Hezbollah had long feared that Israel would target its cellphone networks amid heightened tensions, thus adopting pagers more widely.
While Channel 12 reiterates the commonly held view that the detonations were prompted by fears of exposure for the Trojan Horse devices, it also cites a foreign security source disputing this narrative, suggesting instead that Israel felt compelled to intensify its operations against Hezbollah.
Amos Yadlin, a former IDF intelligence chief, broadly asserts that Israel aims to demonstrate to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah that his assaults on the north “are costing him more than he’s gaining,” especially concerning support within Lebanon.
The report indicates that it was seen as “preferable” for the numerous Hezbollah fighters affected by the pager explosions to sustain serious injuries rather than fatalities, as this would significantly strain Lebanon’s healthcare system and, in turn, increase domestic pressure on Hezbollah.
A foreign security source told Channel 12 that the pager detonations should not be viewed as a strategic offensive, emphasizing that Israel possesses much more advanced capabilities.
The source elaborated that Israel has invested years in developing these far-reaching capabilities against Hezbollah and Iran, but not as much against Hamas—likely due to underestimating the threat posed by the latter. This discrepancy partially accounts for the inability to avert the October 7 incident. The capabilities employed thus far in Lebanon are considered “relatively low-level,” the source noted.
Eyal Hulata, a former National Security Adviser, remarked to Channel 12 after the report aired that many Israelis have been diligently working for years to enhance security capabilities for the nation. “There are more capabilities like these,” he asserted, referencing the recent developments in Lebanon. Given the erosion of public confidence in the security establishment following the October 7 failures, it is crucial for Israelis to be aware of this, according to Hulata, who also previously led the Mossad’s technological branch.

{Matzav.com Israel}