In a striking demonstration of asymmetric warfare, electronic pagers across Lebanon detonated simultaneously on September 17, 2024, resulting in 12 fatalities and over 2,700 injuries. This coordinated attack was soon followed by another wave of explosions involving walkie-talkies, primarily targeting members of the militant group Hezbollah.
The catastrophic pager attack reportedly involved explosives discreetly implanted in the devices by Israeli operatives, as confirmed by U.S. officials. This incident came shortly after Hezbollah had placed an order for a shipment of pagers, raising alarms about supply chain vulnerabilities.
Exploiting the supply chain for clandestine operations is a tactic with historical precedence in intelligence and military strategies. For instance, a 2010 internal document revealed that the National Security Agency intercepted technology destined for foreign clients, embedding malware before repackaging the items for delivery. This approach differs significantly from prior tactics, such as the 1996 operation where Israeli operatives inserted explosives into a cellphone to eliminate a Hamas bombmaker.
In the aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Hezbollah intensified its reliance on low-tech communication methods, including pagers and walkie-talkies, presumably to counter Israel’s advanced tracking capabilities.
Cellphones: The Ultimate Tracking Tool
In today’s digital landscape, cellular devices serve as sophisticated tracking instruments for various entities, including government agencies, corporations, and criminals. This technology has played a pivotal role in counterterrorism efforts, locating missing individuals, and aiding criminal investigations.
However, the same tracking capabilities raise significant privacy concerns, as they enable unwanted surveillance of an individual’s movements. While tracking can be beneficial for purposes like monitoring children, navigating parking lots, or supporting targeted advertising, it can also facilitate invasive spying on personal relationships or scrutiny of activists and journalists. This ongoing issue has even prompted concerns within the U.S. military regarding the tracking potential of soldiers’ mobile devices.
