According to the experts, a simple overheating of the battery could not cause such explosions. It is therefore likely that explosive charges were incorporated into the beepers used by the Lebanese Islamist movement. The question remains as to when this was done

At least 12 people lost their lives and around 2,800 were injured this Tuesday, September 17, following the simultaneous explosion of pagers in Lebanon and Syria. The victims were mainly members of Hezbollah. All eyes are on Israel and its intelligence services, which may be behind this unprecedented attack.

What happened on September 17?

At the end of the day, thousands of pagers belonging to Hezbollah members exploded at the same time, killing at least 12 people and injuring thousands more. But how could simple devices, equipped with ancient technology, have caused such a catastrophe?

Hezbollah was quick to blame Israel and its intelligence agency, Mossad, as the war on the Israeli-Lebanese border dragged on for almost a year. Israel has, in the past, used technology to target its enemies. The **Financial Times** recalls that in 1972, one of those responsible for the Munich bombings was eliminated by a remotely-activated bomb concealed in his telephone.

Simon Mabon, a specialist in international relations, told the BBC: “We know that Israel is already using technology to track down its targets”, describing this attack as “unprecedented”.

Israeli intervention?

Barely 24 hours after the event, several hypotheses are beginning to emerge. The **New York Times**, citing anonymous American sources, reports that the beepers ordered by Hezbollah in the spring were sabotaged by Israeli agents before their arrival in Lebanon.

**CNN** also mentions a possible joint operation between the Israeli army and Mossad. However, neither the Israeli government nor its army have made any statements on the subject.

“There are several scenarios that could explain these explosions. The most likely is the addition of explosives to the beepers. The real question is: when was this explosive incorporated? It could have been done during manufacture, but given that these devices are distributed worldwide, it’s more plausible that it was done on delivery”, explained Gérôme Billois, cybersecurity expert at Wavestone, during an appearance on **BFMTV**.

The role of Mossad and uncertainty about sabotage

According to a high-ranking Lebanese security source and another anonymous source quoted by **Reuters**, Mossad concealed explosives in around 5,000 beepers that Hezbollah had been importing for several months. However, the precise method used to cause these simultaneous detonations remains unclear.

While the hypothesis of remote hacking causing the batteries to explode seems unlikely, it is conceivable that the devices have been modified to detonate following the reception of a specific signal.

“It is technically impossible to violently detonate a battery remotely without having physical access to the device,” cybersecurity specialist Baptiste Robert told **BFMTV.com**.

Doubts about the manufacturer

The identity of the manufacturer of the beepers in question remains uncertain. Taiwanese company Gold Apollo has denied producing the beepers used by Hezbollah. “These are not our products”, said the company’s director, rejecting US media reports. He added that Gold Apollo had granted a manufacturing license to another company, this time based in Hungary, and that their involvement was limited to branding without participating in the design or manufacture of these devices.