Hezbollah devices: How did they explode and who is responsible?

What We Know About The Hezbollah Radio Explosions

See how the Hezbollah attack involving exploding pagers took place.

At least 26 individuals, including two children, lost their lives, while thousands more were injured—many of them severely—when communication devices, some utilized by the militant group Hezbollah, suddenly exploded throughout Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In the most recent series of explosions, detonating walkie-talkies claimed the lives of 14 individuals and left at least 450 others injured, as reported by the health ministry of Lebanon.

The detonations happened near a considerable number of people who had come together for the funerals of four individuals who died in the explosions on Tuesday.

BBC crews in the city described disordered situations where ambulances had difficulty getting to those hurt, and residents grew wary of anyone using a mobile phone.

The explosions intensified feelings of unrest within Lebanese society, occurring just a day after a seemingly comparable and highly advanced assault aimed at the pagers utilized by Hezbollah members.

The militant organization held Israel responsible for the incident. Officials from Israel have not yet provided any statements regarding the matter.

Media reports have claimed that two companies, one located in Taiwan and the other in Hungary, are involved in the production of the pagers. However, both firms have refuted these allegations.

Here’s what we have discovered up to this point.

How Did The Attacks Happen?

The initial series of explosions started in Beirut, Lebanon's capital, along with various other locations in the country, around 3:45 PM local time (1:45 PM BST) on Tuesday.

Witnesses claimed to have seen smoke emanating from individuals' pockets, followed by a series of small explosions that resembled the sounds of fireworks and gunfire.

According to US officials, the New York Times reported that the pagers picked up messages that seemed to originate from the leadership of Hezbollah just before they exploded. Instead of being regular communications, these messages appeared to activate the devices.

According to a report from the Reuters news agency, explosions persisted for nearly an hour following the initial detonations.

Not long after, numerous individuals started showing up at hospitals throughout Lebanon, and observers noted a significant level of chaos in the emergency rooms.

Similar incidents occurred nationwide on Wednesday around 5 PM local time (3 PM BST) during yet another series of explosions.

According to a security source who spoke to Reuters, it appears that the devices that were destroyed were walkie-talkies. These were bought by Hezbollah five months prior.

One explosion occurred near a funeral in Beirut for some of the victims of Tuesday's attack, causing fear and chaos among the attendees of the ceremony.

According to Lebanon's health ministry, nine individuals have lost their lives, and hundreds have sustained injuries.

What Do We Know About Pagers?

A Hezbollah member informed the AP news agency that the pagers were a different model that the organization hadn't utilized previously. Meanwhile, a Lebanese security official shared with Reuters that approximately 5,000 pagers were smuggled into the country around five months ago.

Labels found on pieces of the damaged pagers indicate that they belong to a model known as the Rugged Pager AR-924. However, the Taiwanese company that makes them, Gold Apollo, has claimed that they are not connected to the explosions. When the BBC visited Gold Apollo on Wednesday, police were present at the company’s offices, examining paperwork and interviewing employees.

The founder, Hsu Ching-Kuang, mentioned that his company has entered into a partnership with a Hungarian company called BAC to produce the devices under his brand name. He also noted that the financial transactions from them have been "quite unusual," but he didn't provide further details.

BBC Verify has obtained the company records of BAC, showing that it was established in 2022. The registered address points to a plain building located in a suburb of Budapest. Additionally, numerous attempts by the BBC to reach the company's offices on Wednesday ended without a response.

Nevertheless, the CEO, Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono, informed NBC that she was unaware of the explosions. "I don’t manufacture the pagers. I only serve as a middleman. I believe there has been a misunderstanding," she stated.

The Hungarian government stated that the company does not have any production or operational facilities within its borders.

What Triggered The Pager Attack?

According to anonymous officials from the US and Israel who spoke to Axios, the initial strategy was to trigger the pagers simultaneously as a first step in a comprehensive attack on Hezbollah. However, in the past few days, Israel grew worried that Hezbollah might have learned about their intentions, leading them to activate the devices sooner than planned.

Israeli officials have remained silent regarding the claims, but the majority of analysts believe it’s probable that Israel is responsible for the attack.

Professor Simon Mabon, who holds the chair in International Relations at Lancaster University, shared with the BBC that "Israel has a history of employing technology to monitor its targets," but he described the extent of this particular attack as "unprecedented."

Lina Khatib from Chatham House in the UK mentioned that the attack indicates Israel has made significant inroads into Hezbollah's communication systems.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati stated that the blasts marked a significant breach of Lebanon's sovereignty and constituted a crime by any measure.

In its announcement blaming Israel for the attacks, Hezbollah declared that it holds the nation "completely accountable for this violent act, which also affected civilians."

Hezbollah has not yet held anyone responsible for the attack that took place on Wednesday.

Why Does Hezbollah Rely On Pagers?

Hezbollah has made significant use of pagers as a straightforward way to communicate while avoiding detection by Israel. Pagers are simple wireless devices that can receive and show messages made up of letters, numbers, or voice recordings.

They are significantly more difficult to monitor compared to mobile phones, which have been disregarded for being overly susceptible. This was evidenced by Israel's assassination of Hamas bomb-maker Yahya Ayyash back in 1996, when his phone detonated while he was holding it.

In February, Hassan Nasrallah instructed Hezbollah members to dispose of their phones, claiming they had been compromised by Israeli intelligence. He advised his troops to either smash, bury, or secure their devices in a metal container.

Experts now suggest that the announcement made during a live broadcast could have alerted Israeli intelligence agents to the possibility that the group would be looking for a new, probably simpler, way to communicate.

Details On Tuesday's Attack Victims Revealed

A source familiar with Hezbollah informed AFP that among those who died in Tuesday's attack were two sons of Hezbollah lawmakers. The source also mentioned that the daughter of a Hezbollah member lost her life in the incident.

Among those hurt was Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani. Iranian news sources indicated that his injuries were not serious.

According to a source cited by Reuters, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was unharmed during the explosions.

Lebanese Public Health Minister Firass Abiad stated that most of the injuries were to the hands and face.

In an interview with the BBC's Newshour program, he mentioned, "It seems that many of the injuries are focused on the face, particularly around the eyes, as well as the hands, where there have been some amputations, either to the hands or fingers. Additionally, some individuals have sustained injuries to their sides."

He went on to say, "Most of the individuals arriving at the emergency rooms are dressed in regular clothing, making it hard to tell if they are part of a specific group like Hezbollah or any other organization..."

"However, we have noticed that among these individuals, there are both elderly people and very young children, including the child who tragically passed away. Additionally, some of these individuals are healthcare professionals," the minister stated.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based advocacy group, 14 individuals sustained injuries in similar explosions in Syria, which borders Lebanon.

Will The Hezbollah-Israel Conflict Escalate?

Hezbollah collaborates with Iran, which is considered Israel's main enemy in the area. The group is involved in Tehran's Axis of Resistance and has been in an ongoing, low-intensity conflict with Israel for several months, regularly trading rocket and missile strikes along Israel's northern border. This situation has led to the displacement of entire communities on both sides.

The explosions occurred only a few hours after Israel's security cabinet declared that ensuring residents can safely return to the northern part of the country would be a formal objective of the war.

During a visit to an Israeli airbase on Wednesday, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announced that the nation is "entering a new stage in the conflict," emphasizing that "the focus is moving north as resources and troops are redirected."

Although tensions remain high, analysts believe that both parties have so far tried to keep conflicts in check and avoid escalating into all-out war. However, there are concerns that things could quickly spiral beyond their control.

Further contributions from Frances Mao.