The Reckoning - Iran, America, Israel, and War

Hello from The Reckoning - Hamas, Israel, and America. The author is Mark Silinsky of Kensington Security Consulting, which provides education on national security. Today’s episode is called “Hizballah - When the Beepers Went Boom!”

On September 17 2024, explosions rocked Lebanon and Syria. These were not rockets launched from aircraft or shells from naval ships or ground-based artillery. Instead, they seemed to come from hand-held pagers, but witnesses and observers were not sure. Most of the explosions took place in Beirut, a stronghold for Hizbollah. Soon, the connection between the pager and Hizbollah was clear. But what on earth was happening? Why did the beeps go bang?

For many younger listeners, pagers are largely artifacts of the past. They belong to yesterday’s technology. Maybe their parents used them early in their careers. They appear in old TV shows from the 1980s and 1990s, when women had poofy hair, and men wore suspenders at the office. But today’s generation is the cell phone generation. So, what exactly are pagers?

Pagers are handheld communication devices that display short text messages relayed over telephone lines by a central operator. They operate on radio waves rather than the Internet. This makes them harder to monitor, which, in turn, makes them popular with terrorist groups, including Hizbollah.

Hizbollah turned to pagers after its leadership determined that cellphones were being monitored by Israeli intelligence. Israeli intelligence got wind of this intended switch in communications and saw it as an opportunity. It crafted an intelligence operation like no other and one likely to make a mark in the history of intelligence operations, because it is one hell of a story! And here it is.

When Israelis heard about the planned bulk purchase of pagers, intelligence got to work. Technicians designed pagers with a battery that concealed a small but potent charge of plastic explosive and a one-of-a-kind, largely undetectable detonator. The Israeli pseudo-pager was significantly larger than other pagers to accommodate the mini-bomb. They crafted a marketing campaign to incite would-be Hizballah purchasers. Sure, the pager was bulkier, but that was because it was combat-tough – a real war pager. They dressed up the ads with military paraphernalia. But who would sell these pagers? Hizballah would not buy an Israeli pager or one connected to Israel. So Israel invented a company and the pager it claimed to sell. This company was BAC Consulting, ostensibly a Hungary-registered firm that partnered with a Taiwanese company, Gold Apollo. In fact, these were shell companies created by Israeli intelligence.

But, BAC Consulting would have to appear credible. Why didn’t it have significant sales? Why haven’t more people heard of it? What is this company, anyway? It is not well-known because it has very few clients. After all, it was military-grade. BAC needed only one client – Hizballah. Hizballah took the bait and bought hundreds. Hizballah bought and distributed the pagers in the summer of 2022. The group’s technicians found nothing suspicious about the new product. Now, Israel would wait and wait for an opportune moment to kill and maim.

The moment came when Israel claimed it had thwarted a Hizballah attempt to kill senior Israeli leaders in September 2024. When the Israeli attack struck, it did so like lightning. Hundreds of pagers exploded nearly simultaneously, killing dozens and maiming and disfiguring scores of others. While the largest number of casualties was in Beirut, many people were also wounded in the country's north and south.

But, what were the mechanics of the attacks? Israeli intelligence sent a ring to each pager. The recipient then picked up the pager and, usually, saw the message “error.” This was followed by the message “Press OK,” which many did. This detonated the explosive inside the pager, usually killing or seriously injuring the victim. Many lost fingers, which were blown off. Many suffered severe facial scars and blindness because they held the pager close to their face to read the message. The facial scars will remain clearly visible.

There was also psychological trauma. Mohammed Awada, 52, and his son were driving when the boy saw a pager explode. Awada said, “My son went crazy and started to scream when he saw the man’s hand flying away from him.” Elsewhere, a young girl, Fatima, had just come from school when she answered her father’s pager. The explosion killed the 9-year-old girl. How reliable are the stories reported by journalists? Some are certainly fabricated or exaggerated. However, local hospitals treated people of all ages.

Lebanese government officials and Hezbollah were quick to blame Israel. "After examining all the facts, available data, and information regarding the heinous attack this afternoon, we hold the Israeli enemy fully responsible for this criminal aggression.” The following day, hundreds of walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah operatives also exploded. Once again, victims were rushed to the already-crowded hospitals. Some were buried soon after.

The Pagers and the War of Words

So, what to make of the exploding pagers? Predictably, there was divided opinion, much of it straight down the line between those who support Israel and those who lean towards Hizballah. But many who sided with neither did not know exactly what to make of the affair. The graphic images of the injured children were haunting and widely distributed. The full narratives of the attacks were often not attached to the photographs. At Kensington, we saw several groupings of reactions.

First, there is awe at the attack's competence and ingenuity. The more information that was revealed, the more impressive the planning and execution of the attacks appeared. In the past, Israel botched several attacks on its enemies. But not this one, which will be studied by intelligence agencies for years.

Second, there was recognition that the attack killed, maimed, and terrified scores of Hizballah leaders. Many can be replaced, but some possess skills, talents, and prestige that are not easily replicated. It also terrifies many leaders who find themselves always within Israel’s long and unforgiving reach. Will they die tomorrow? And what of their families? Will their children become disfigured? Perhaps this will build demand for revenge within the broader Hizballah family. If so, it could unintentionally strengthen the group. This might happen. Writing for USA Today, opinion-maker Jeremy Mayer speculated, “Will it be harder or easier for Hezbollah to get recruits? The pager and walkie-talkie explosions killed and wounded a few fighters, but there will be three or four replacements for each one who fell.” He might be right. But instead, it could be another step in eroding Hizballah’s military capabilities and morale.

Third, there was debate about morality, some of which was clouded by images of children with facial scars. The United Nations opined loudly and quickly that, “These attacks violate the human right to life, absent any indication that the victims posed an imminent lethal threat to anyone else at the time. Such attacks require prompt, independent investigation to establish the truth and enable accountability for the crime of murder." Their comments continued, “It is also a war crime to commit violence intended to spread terror among civilians, including to intimidate or deter them from supporting an adversary. A climate of fear now pervades everyday life in Lebanon.”

Former CIA Director Leon Panetta called Israel’s pager operation “terrorism” in a recent CBS News interview. He said, “I don’t think there’s any question that it’s a form of terrorism…This is going right into the supply chain. And when you have terror going into the supply chain, it makes people ask the question, what the hell is next?” Well, we at Kensington do not know “what the hell is next.” We lament the children who were harmed. But this attack on the terrorists was very tightly targeted. It was designed to limit harm to Hizballah operatives and was largely successful. But what do you think? We want to hear your views on the pager attack.

This concludes this episode. Our upcoming book, Cauldron of Terror—Hamas, Israel, and the World—will be available for purchase in July 2026. This podcast does not represent the official position of the United States government. Until next time, goodbye from Kensington Security Consulting