In an unprecedented, devastating and synchronised act of hybrid warfare involving electronic and cyber elements, thousands of Hezbollah cadres including fighters and leaders were targeted in a massive and meticulously planned attack involving pagers that exploded, killing at least nine, injuring over 2,750 people and critically injuring more than 200.
The extensive explosions signal a new form of offensive action in the annals of modern warfare. Reports said the devices heated up before exploding.
News agencies have quoted Lebanese security sources as saying that these pagers “were a modern model recently purchased by Hezbollah in the past few months”. Another Hezbollah source said that one of the estimates is that the devices may have had malware installed on them.
In order to escape the sophisticated Israeli electronic and cyber warfare dragnet, Hezbollah militants had resorted to using pagers as the main means to communicate as they cannot capture sound, don’t have cameras and leave very low digital signature.
A possible explanation is that devices containing explosives were introduced into the Hezbollah networks, which were then triggered at the same time through a sophisticated command and control channel.
Tarun Wig, a New Delhi-based cyber expert, told THE WEEK: “The only way this targeted attack could have happened is if someone has exploited a vulnerability in the old pagers. Pagers are no longer getting updated with security patches. If you can quickly overheat the pager battery using a vulnerability, the pager in effect becomes a mini bomb. This is what could have led to the blasts.”
“The next point to ponder is that all the mobiles phones use lithium batteries as well. If someone identifies such a vulnerability in mobile phones it could have catastrophic effects on global security.”
Although no immediate comment was available from the Israeli military, the country’s security establishment has huddled for urgent meetings with government leaders to discuss the escalation possibilities that can be mounted by Hezbollah.
Ever since the October 7 attack by Hamas across Gaza, at least 41,252 Palestinians—mostly women and children—have been killed, with about 95,497 wounded, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave. The October 7 attacks by Hamas had resulted in the deaths of more than 1,190 people, mostly civilians, according to official Israeli figures.
TV visuals and reports showed chaotic scenes in hospitals even as ambulances continued to ferry in more and more wounded.
The Ministry of Public Health requested that “all citizens who own wireless communication devices stay away from them.”