American media such as The New York Times They believe Israel is behind the explosive pagers and other electronic devices that exploded this week in the hands of Hezbollah militias and others in Lebanon. The NYT consulted defense and intelligence officials to conclude it was him “building a modern Trojan horse” in a complex operation that describes how “elaborate ruse”.

The Middle East has been a bit of a mess for decades, and there is little we can contribute from here, except to mourn the thousands of casualties, mostly civilians, and the escalation of a conflict that seems to have no end in sight. We wanted to comment on Israel’s capability control technology and communicationabsolutely crucial in any modern conflict, although it may actually surprise few experts or those familiar with the situation at this point.

This is not the first time Israel has used sophisticated technology against groups in the region or countries that support them. In 2020, for example, Israel assassinated a top Iranian nuclear scientist using an AI robot controlled remotely via satellite. The use of hacker attacks to hinder Iran’s nuclear development is also known. Not to mention Pegasus, the most advanced (known) spyware in history created by the Israeli company NSO Group, apparently controlled by the Israeli government and its powerful intelligence service.

Where did the explosive pagers come from?

When Israel killed a high-ranking Hezbollah commando in Lebanon years ago through targeted assassinations, the militia realized it had used cell phone networks to locate its operatives. It was also found that Israel had the technical means to remotely activate the device’s camera and microphone, thereby spying on their owners. For this reason, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah they banned the use of mobile phones and pushed for the group to invest in pagers that, despite their limited capabilities, could receive data without revealing the user’s location or other compromising information.

Israeli intelligence officials then saw an opportunity and began a plan to establish a a shell company that would pretend to be an international manufacturer of these devices. Sources consulted by the NYT say that part of the plan or elaborate ruse involved the Hungarian company BAC Consulting hired to manufacture the equipment on behalf of the Taiwanese company Gold Apollo. At least two other shell companies were created to hide the true identity of those responsible for the facility: Israeli intelligence officers.

BAC dealt with other mainstream customers for whom it produced a range of mainstream pagers. But the only client that really mattered was Hezbollah. Explosive pagers were not common at all. According to the intelligence technicians cited, they were manufactured separately and contained batteries charged with PETN explosive.

The pagers began shipping to Lebanon in summer 2022 in small quantities, but production quickly increased after Nasrallah denounced the insecurity of smartphones and mobile networks. It was a defensive measure. or so it seemed.

Meanwhile, at Mossad headquarters, it was quiet. They referred to pagers as “buttons” that could be pressed when the time seemed right. That moment, it seems, came this week. To set off the blasts, Israel rang the pagers and sent them a message in Arabic that appeared to come from top Hezbollah leaders. Like in a movie… If it wasn’t for the chaos and casualties, both militiamen and civilians, because the explosions happened anywhere and hit anyone. At least 20 dead and 2,700 more injured, radio stations were added to the exploding pagers on Tuesday.

Israel has not officially confirmed (or denied) its involvement in the operations, but all defense and intelligence officials consulted by The New York Times say the Israelis were behind it and describe the operation as complex and long in the making. We do not know if there are more groups of electronic devices ready to explode… We will certainly never know the whole truth.

And the unanswered questions left behindas if the intelligence services penetrated the same production chain or the manipulation occurred later, in the company of ghosts. Yes, indeed; Israel’s immense dominance in technology and communications is confirmed. And the sad impression that conflicts in the Middle East have no solution.