After electronic device explosions rocked Lebanon recently, it has been alleged that a Hungarian firm, which had supplied communication devices to Hezbollah, was secretly established by Israeli intelligence operatives. The report from The New York Times comes after a series of deadly explosions earlier this week in Lebanon, which targeted Hezbollah members and reportedly killed several while injuring thousands.
The report, published on Thursday, is the latest in a string of revelations surrounding an Israeli covert mission that became public on Tuesday. On that day, thousands of pager devices used by Hezbollah operatives exploded simultaneously in Hezbollah strongholds across Lebanon. The following day, hundreds of walkie-talkies, also employed by the group, detonated, causing further panic and confusion.
Citing three unnamed intelligence officials with direct knowledge of the operation, the Times revealed that a Hungarian firm, BAC Consulting, had been established as a front by Israeli intelligence. Additionally, two other shell companies were reportedly set up to obscure the link between BAC and Israeli operatives. BAC Consulting, which was registered as a limited liability company in Hungary in May 2022, is alleged to have supplied Hezbollah with explosive-laden pagers as part of the group's communication system.
The report claims that the pagers were fitted with batteries containing PETN, a highly explosive substance. These devices had been provided to Hezbollah since 2022, intended for use as part of the group’s emergency communication network during a potential conflict with Israel.
The roots of this operation trace back to 2022, when Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah voiced concerns over the use of smartphones, citing fears of Israeli surveillance. Nasrallah advised Hezbollah members to switch to older technologies such as pagers, believing them to be more secure. “The phone in your hands, in your wife’s hands, and in your children’s hands is the agent… Bury it. Put it in an iron box and lock it,” Nasrallah had told his followers in February, according to The New York Times.
Seeing this shift, Israeli intelligence reportedly seized the opportunity to exploit Hezbollah’s reliance on older communication methods. As the group adopted pagers, Israeli operatives turned these devices into potential detonators, leading to the devastating blasts earlier this week.
The devices used by Hezbollah, particularly the pagers, bore the branding of Taiwanese company Gold Apollo. Gold Apollo has since distanced itself from the incident, clarifying that BAC Consulting was licensed to use its branding but was solely responsible for the design and manufacture of the devices.
In a statement, Gold Apollo said, "The design and manufacturing of the products are solely the responsibility of BAC." BAC Consulting’s CEO, Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono, denied any direct involvement, stating “I don’t make the pagers. I am just the intermediate. I think you got it wrong,” in comments to NBC News.
The Hungarian government has also responded to the situation, with government spokesperson Zoltán Kovács confirming that the pagers had never physically been in Hungary. Kovács emphasized that BAC Consulting acted solely as an intermediary “Authorities have confirmed that the company in question is a trading intermediary, with no manufacturing or operational site in Hungary. It has one manager registered at its declared address, and the referenced devices have never been in Hungary,” he stated on social media.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the explosions. However, the precision and timing of the attacks strongly suggest Israeli participation, particularly in light of previous operations targeting Hezbollah.
During a visit to Israel’s Northern Command on Wednesday, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi made a cryptic remark, hinting at Israel’s broader capabilities. “We have many capabilities that we have not yet employed,” he said. “We have seen some of these [capabilities in use]. It seems to me that we are well prepared and we are preparing these plans going forward.”
As Hezbollah grapples with the aftermath of these coordinated explosions, many questions remain. The extent of Israeli penetration into Hezbollah’s communication network is still unclear, and there are concerns that additional undiscovered explosive devices may remain within Hezbollah's operational equipment.
While the full scope of the Israeli operation has yet to be revealed, the precise nature of the pager and walkie-talkie detonations signals a highly sophisticated intelligence strike. It remains to be seen how Hezbollah will respond to this breach in its security.
Though Israel has long maintained a reputation for its covert operations, the prestige of its intelligence services had come under scrutiny following the October 7th attacks. This recent development, however, demonstrates a resurgence in Israeli intelligence capabilities. As the Times noted, Israeli operatives appear to be "more creative than writers of Israeli thriller shows."
