How Did Hezbollah’s Pagers Simultaneously Explode Across Lebanon?

Hundreds of pagers belonging to Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group, have exploded simultaneously across Lebanon, leading to widespread casualties. At the time of reporting, at least nine people have died, and 2,750 have been injured, according to security services and the Lebanese health minister. Among the dead is an eight-year-old girl, and Mohammad Mahdi Ammar, son of Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar, has also been confirmed killed. Hezbollah reported the deaths of two of its fighters.

The explosions occurred through the devices' radio wave communication system. Unlike mobile phones, pagers rely on radio frequencies, making them difficult to monitor, which is one reason they are popular with groups like Hezbollah, where security and mobility are critical. The cause of the explosions remains under investigation, but speculation suggests the pagers may have been tampered with, or the radio network may have been hacked, triggering a response in the doctored devices.

Hezbollah has pointed fingers at Israel, claiming responsibility for what it describes as "criminal aggression." The two sides have been engaged in a low-level conflict since October 8, following Hamas-led attacks on Israel. Israel has remained silent on the accusations, a common stance in similar situations. Analysts have speculated that the pager explosions could be part of a coordinated attack designed to gather intelligence by triggering responses from affected Hezbollah members.

Unlike Hezbollah, Hamas, another militant group, has avoided such vulnerabilities, as they operate a highly secure, encrypted communication network that doesn't rely on easily compromised technologies like pagers.

Related Tags:

pager attack, israel pagers, what is hezbollah, how can a pager explode, how does a pager explode, how did pagers explode, what are pagers, what is a pager explosion, al jazeera, how can pagers explode