NYT report: Hungary-based Israeli shell company produced Hezbollah’s exploding pagers

The New York Times (NYT) reported on Thursday that the Hungarian-based company, BAC, which produced the terrorist organization Hezbollah’s exploding pagers, was an Israeli shell company. The NYT reported, citing three anonymous Israeli intelligence officers, that Israel set up two shell companies to help conceal the identities of those involved in producing the pagers.

The NYT report affirmed that the Hungarian-based business manufactured conventional pagers for other customers but pagers earmarked for Hezbollah were “produced separately, they contained batteries laced with explosive” according to the unnamed intelligence officers.

Some 4,000 pagers used by Hezbollah operatives exploded on Tuesday and Wednesday throughout various parts of Lebanon. Dozens of people were reportedly killed and hundreds seriously injured when the pagers exploded. The vast majority of fatalities and injuries are believed to be Hezbollah terrorists.

While Hezbollah has downplayed the incident, Israel believes the actual number of casualties within the terrorist group is significantly higher than reported.

Meticulous planning went into the complex operation. In 2022, a limited number of the modified pagers were reportedly shipped to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In a previous speech, Hezbollah Sec.-Gen. Hassan Nasrallah banned its forces from using cell phones, which he described as the Israeli intelligence's “agent.” Instead, Nasrallah advocated the use of pagers, which he considered more secure, urging its fighters to carry their pagers at all times, unintentionally making them vulnerable targets.

The NYT report revealed that Israeli intelligence viewed the pagers as "buttons" that could be activated at any time. To maximize their impact, the devices were designed to emit a beep before detonating, prompting the owner to hold the pager up to their face to read the message, causing blindness.

In a speech on Thursday, Nasrallah warned that Hezbollah would deliver “just punishment,” accusing Israel of crossing ‘all red lines’ in what he called an “act of war.”

Since Oct. 8, Hezbollah forces have fired some 8,000 missiles, rockets and explosive drones into Israeli territory. Dozens of Israeli civilians and soldiers have been killed in the Hezbollah aerial attacks. In addition, the Hezbollah aggression has resulted in considerable damage to Israeli property, forcing 60,000 Israelis to evacuate their homes in northern Israel.

Israel's Security Cabinet recently made the return of northern Israelis to their homes an official goal in the ongoing war against Hezbollah.

On Thursday evening, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) carried out a large pre-emptive aerial attack against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, destroying some 100 rocket launchers that reportedly contained at least 1,000 rockets that were ready to be fired at northern Israeli communities.

On Friday, ahead of the Jewish Sabbath, Hezbollah fired about 150 rockets within an hour against northern Israel, in particular, Safed, Mount Meron and the Golan Heights.