Israel's Mossad Planted Explosives in 5,000 Pagers Before They Reached Hezbollah: Report

Beirut: Following the pager explosions across Lebanon on Tuesday that claimed the lives of 12 people and wounded nearly 3,000, a senior Lebanese security officer and another source confirmed Israel's involvement to Reuters.

As per the official, Israel's Mossad spy agency planted a small number of explosives inside 5000 Taiwan-based Gold Apollo, which several sources say were brought into the country in the spring. Taiwan's Gold Apollo Founder Hsu Ching-Kuang later said the pagers used in the explosion were made by a company in Europe that had the right to use the Taiwanese firm’s brand.

According to Reuters, the official identified a photograph of the model of the pager, an AP924, which like other wireless pagers received messages but couldn't make calls, adding that 3,000 of the pagers exploded when a coded message was sent to them, simultaneously activating the explosives.

The official also stated that the devices had been modified by Israel's spy service "at the production level."

"The Mossad injected a board inside of the device that has explosive material that receives a code. It's very hard to detect it through any means. Even with any device or scanner," the source told Reuters.

Amid the attack, Iran-backed Hezbollah has pledged to retaliate against Israel. However, no confirmation was given by the Israeli force.

Lebanese Health Ministry Urges Disposal of Pagers

The Lebanese Health Ministry has issued an urgent call for all citizens to dispose of their pager communication devices following a series of devastating explosions on Tuesday. The blasts, involving wireless pagers, resulted in at least nine fatalities, including a child, and left around 2,750 others injured, with 200 in critical condition.

Health Minister Firas Al-Abiad, speaking at a press conference in Beirut, detailed the scale of the disaster, highlighting the widespread injuries and casualties from the explosions that occurred in various locations across Lebanon. The ministry's advisory comes in response to the significant risks associated with the continued use of these devices.

In an earlier statement to Anadolu, Minister Al-Abiad described the explosions as causing a severe impact across the country, with hundreds of injuries reported. The call to dispose of pagers aims to prevent further incidents and ensure public safety in the wake of this tragic event.

'Israeli Terrorism'

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a telephone conversation with Lebanon counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib blamed Israel for the series of pager explosions in Lebanon, calling it "Israeli terrorism."

Araghchi asked about the condition of Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, who was injured in the explosions, and thanked Lebanon for his treatment, CNN reported, citing Press TV.

He offered solidarity with victims and expressed willingness to provide aid to victims.

In a post to X, Abbas Araghchi said, "In call with my Lebanese counterpart, strongly condemned Israeli terrorism. Expressed solidarity with victims--including a 10-year-old--and readiness to provide any aid. Also thankful for treatment of our injured Ambassador, emphasizing need for serious follow-up by Lebanese Govt."