A new report released by Reuters on Wednesday sheds light on the alleged Israeli operation that caused the detonation of thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah last month.

The report revealed that the pagers’ batteries contained a minuscule amount of plastic explosive. However, the real breakthrough was the detonator, which was cleverly crafted to evade detection by X-ray machines, as stated by a Lebanese source.

The explosive device was constructed using six grams of white pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), a potent explosive material. This was placed in a layered configuration between two battery cells. Unlike typical explosives, this setup lacked a visible cylindrical detonator, which would usually trigger detection. Without this obvious metal component, the explosives went unnoticed by X-rays and other screening tools used by Hezbollah. Further examinations by Hezbollah, including tests that involved heating the battery to spark any potential explosives, only reinforced their belief that the devices were not dangerous.

Nevertheless, there was a downside to this sophisticated design. The explosives and detonator took up space within the battery, reducing its capacity by as much as two-thirds, according to the report. As a result, Hezbollah operatives observed that the batteries drained much faster than anticipated, signaling something unusual.

The report also pointed out another flaw in the operation: neither the pagers nor the specialized batteries they employed were real products on the market.

To address this issue, an intricate cover story was created for the batteries. This included fabricating websites to deceive Hezbollah operatives into believing they were purchasing a legitimate product. The false narrative portrayed the batteries as a new model from the established Taiwanese company, Gold Apollo, rather than a new or suspicious vendor.

Gold Apollo’s chairman, Hsu Ching-kuang, informed the press the day after the explosions that he had entered a licensing agreement for the AR-924 model. He explained that a former employee had approached him with the proposal three years earlier. Consequently, the AR-924 was listed on the Gold Apollo website as part of the agreement.

Alongside the fake websites, advertisements were crafted to highlight the battery’s features, boasting an 85-day lifespan and USB recharging capabilities. Additionally, fabricated reviews were posted online, praising the product’s performance.

Over the past year, Hezbollah shifted to using pagers for communication at the insistence of former leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was concerned that more advanced devices like smartphones could be compromised by Israeli cyberattacks.

On September 17, thousands of Hezbollah’s pagers exploded nearly simultaneously. This occurred after the group had launched around 8,000 rockets at northern Israel over the preceding eleven months. The explosions resulted in several dozen fatalities and thousands of injuries. Since the pagers were distributed to Hezbollah operatives and the amount of explosives was small, civilian casualties were minimal.

Israel has not officially taken responsibility for the pager detonations. The following day, similar explosions occurred with Hezbollah’s handheld radios. Shortly afterward, Israel initiated Operation Northern Arrows, a mission aimed at reestablishing security in northern Israel, allowing the return of 60,000 residents who had been displaced for a year due to ongoing Hezbollah attacks.

In the past month, airstrikes have severely crippled Hezbollah’s leadership, including the elimination of senior figure Hassan Nasrallah. Additionally, Israeli military efforts thwarted a Hezbollah plan, dubbed “Conquer the Galilee,” which sought to carry out a large-scale invasion and massacre in northern Israel similar to the events of October 7.

{Matzav.com}