Hacker attack in Lebanon: Hezbollah under fire

A cyber attack has caused the pagers of hundreds of Hezbollah members to simultaneously explode in several areas of Lebanon, including Beirut. Local media say hundreds of the movement's fighters have been injured, with some reports putting the number at up to a thousand. The explosions also affected the Bekaa Valley, one of the armed group's rear areas, and southern Lebanon. Five people are in critical condition, but there are no reports of casualties. Among the injured is also the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, as reported by the daily newspaper Haaretz.

Attack details and precautionary measures

Initial reports suggest that the attack was carried out by activating micro-explosions inside fighters' pagers, as anonymous Hezbollah sources told Lebanese media. The incident also involved members of the organization in Damascus, Syria. The Lebanese Ministry of Health has put hospitals on alert to handle the influx of wounded caused by the cyberattack. Although Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the operation, as is usual for actions carried out by Tel Aviv's secret services, numerous clues point in that direction. A comment on X by Topaz Luk, Netanyahu's former spokesperson, raised further suspicions, although it was later removed and denied by the prime minister's office.

Hezbollah's Internal Communication and Security Actions

Following the attack, Hezbollah immediately ordered all its members to stop using pagers, a telecommunications device recently adopted to prevent infiltration of cell phones by Israeli intelligence services. As Al-Arabiya reported, the decision was made after several explosions targeted the group. Israeli security sources indicated that the pagers used by Hezbollah were recent models, deployed only a few months ago.

Concerns and adjustments to the communication strategy

Several months ago, Hezbollah leaders had already warned their fighters to avoid using cell phones, worried about Tel Aviv's electronic infiltration capabilities. This prompted them to switch to the use of pagers, which were initially considered more secure. However, suspicions are now rising that these devices have also been compromised, prompting the need for further changes in the group's communications strategy. The events highlight the constant evolution of cyber warfare techniques and the importance of adopting up-to-date security measures.