In what could be considered one of the most shocking acts of sabotage in recent history, thousands of people, including numerous Hezbollah officials, have been injured and several killed since Tuesday when communications devices fashioned into bombs exploded before distribution. The attack has left Hezbollah, backed by the Iranian-led “axis of resistance,” with no choice but to retaliate and potentially dragging the region into a wider and more destructive conflict. While the details of how the sophisticated onslaught was carried out remain unclear, experts suggest that it was a highly sophisticated form of electronic warfare, designed to disable the paramilitary group’s command and control systems. This sinister operation may have been aimed not only at disrupting the faction’s communications, but also undermining the morale of its leaders and creating further divisions in an already politically fractured country.
In a region long fraught with tensions, Taiwan’s prominent technology industry has become an unwitting player in the political fray. Recent reports have revealed that thousands of explosive trackers intended for operations against Hezbollah militants bear the branding of a Taiwanese company. However, local tech firm Gold Apollo denied on Wednesday any involvement in the manufacture of the devices of the model. AR-924 which caused a series of explosions in the country. The company said the devices were produced by Hungarian firm BAC under a licensing agreement. Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs said it had no records of direct exports of such devices to Lebanon, suggesting the possibility that they may have been altered after manufacture.
Experts have suggested that the serious security breach that led to the recent explosions in Lebanon could be the result of a covert operation spanning from Hungary to Taiwan, allegedly orchestrated by the Mossad, Israel’s foreign spy agency. In collaboration with elements of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Mossad reportedly managed to infiltrate the supply chain, introducing high-powered explosives into communication devices before their shipment to Lebanon. This massive clandestine mission not only underlines the complexity of espionage dynamics in the region, but also raises serious questions about the security and integrity of equipment used in conflict contexts.
Taiwan is known for its cautious approach to international conflict, typically avoiding involvement in geopolitical disputes except when it comes to China, which claims the “rebel island” as part of its territory. Without formal diplomatic relations with Israel—which, like many other countries, does not recognize the democratic island—the bond between the two is strengthened through its partnership with the United States. Despite its limited international recognition, with just 12 formal allies, the territory has managed to project a disproportionate influence in the global arena, thanks in large part to its robust technology industry.
The scale of the shock caused by the first wave of explosions on Tuesday overwhelmed hospitals, inundating them with a flow of seriously injured patients and evoking memories of the catastrophic explosion at the port of Beirut in 2020, which left more than 200 dead and thousands injured.
Beyond the immediate casualties, the attack has had a profound psychological impact on Hezbollah’s rank and file, as well as on Lebanese public opinion. Opponents of the controversial group within the country have often criticized the group for its close ties to Iran and its involvement in regional conflicts, such as in Syria. By targeting the group so directly and dramatically, the attack could further polarize the domestic political landscape, complicating efforts to stabilize the country’s fragile democracy.
It is worth noting that this powerful radical formation acts as a political and social force as well as an armed movement, and manages a wide variety of institutions, hospitals, schools and businesses, forming a vast support network in Lebanon. Among the victims of the explosions were not only fighters, but also doctors and other civilian workers, which amplifies the impact by affecting their families and passers-by in the vicinity.
And as if by some Trojan horse, a day after the simultaneous explosion of hundreds of tracking devices used by the militant party – which left a tragic death toll of 12, including two children, and more than 2,800 injured – new explosions were recorded in Beirut, the group’s stronghold. These numbers are likely to rise as more details become known, underlining the wide and far-reaching impact of this action. Other equipment, such as pagers, solar power systems, telephones, video cameras, fingerprint locks and various electronic devices, were also reported to have been consumed by the flames.
The Osaka-based Japanese company behind the technology behind the walkie talkies, Icom Inc., has announced that it is conducting an investigation into the details of the incident, including its overseas distribution network. “We cannot rule out the possibility that these were counterfeits, but there is also the option that the devices involved are our IC-V82 model,” said Yoshiki Enomoto, director of Icom. The company sold around 160,000 units of the model both at home and abroad before ceasing production in 2014.
The company’s management also noted that images of the damaged devices in the battery area suggest the generators could have been replaced with components modified to cause explosions. Although Icom operates in Europe, how its products reached the Middle East remains a mystery. “It is difficult to determine the distribution channels without checking the serial numbers of the products,” Enomoto concluded.