An analysis published in Forbes explains in detail how Hezbollah’s pagers became deadly devices. According to experts, explosives could have been placed inside the pagers in such a way that their other components could serve as shrapnel.
Initially, as the publication notes, there was a version that the cause of the explosions could have been a software hack, which led to overheating of the batteries. Forbes recalled cases of overheating of batteries, which sometimes lead to explosions, as happened with Galaxy phones in 2016 and with a laptop on a Lufthansa flight in 2023. However, experts stressed that such incidents are more often associated with manufacturing defects in batteries and that their overheating is more likely to cause fires than explosions.
The second theory is that the attackers could have interfered with the supply chain by placing explosive devices during production or transport of the pagers. The publication’s experts compared the device to the American BLU-43 Dragontooth mines used in Vietnam. These mines weighed less than 20 grams and contained small amounts of explosive, allowing them to injure but not kill.
Forbes notes that the pagers were likely equipped with a guided explosive device. Experts concluded that such a device could use components of the pager itself as shrapnel, and since militants typically wear pagers on their belts, the effect of the blast was targeted. Given the severe injuries among the victims, analysts concluded that the device was “especially lethal for such a compact device.”
Forbes also noted that such attacks will be less likely in the future as militants become more wary of handheld devices. However, experts called it an example of a precision strike where a small amount of explosives caused significant damage to enemies.
Previously, Kursor reported that a UNICEF employee was suspected of working for Israel.
A UNICEF employee is reported to have engaged in espionage.
