Controversy deepens over the origin of exploding pagers

In the aftermath of the pager attacks in Lebanon questions have arisen on how the devices were modified and where they were manufactured.

The death toll from the explosion rises to 12 people, including two children, according to the Lebanese health Minister Firass Abiad on Wednesday.

Taiwanese company Gold Apollo said on Wednesday that it authorised its brand on the pagers that exploded in Lebanon but that another company based in Budapest manufactured them.

The explosions of hundreds of pagers that were reportedly being used by members of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah wounded nearly 3,000, with 200 in critical condition.

Hezbollah and the Lebanese government blamed Israel for what appeared to be a sophisticated remote attack.

The AR-924 pagers were manufactured by BAC Consulting KFT, which is based in Hungary’s capital, according to a statement released on Wednesday by Gold Apollo.

“According to the cooperation agreement, we authorise BAC to use our brand trademark for product sales in designated regions, but the design and manufacturing of the products are solely the responsibility of BAC,” the statement read.

Gold Apollo chair Hsu Ching-kuang told journalists on Wednesday that his company has had a licensing agreement with BAC for the past three years, but did not provide evidence of the contract.

Hezbollah, which has pointed the blame at Israel, said in a statement on Wednesday morning that it would continue its strikes against Israel “as in all the past days” as part of what it describes as a support front for its ally, Hamas, and Palestinians in Gaza.

“This path is continuous and separate from the difficult reckoning that the criminal enemy must await for its massacre on Tuesday that it committed against our people, our families and our fighters in Lebanon,” it said. “This is another reckoning that will come, God willing.”

Hezbollah began firing rockets over the border into Israel on October 8, the day after a deadly Hamas-led attack in southern Israel triggered a massive Israeli counteroffensive and the ongoing war in Gaza.

Since then, Hezbollah and Israeli forces have exchanged strikes near-daily, killing hundreds in Lebanon and dozens in Israel and displacing tens of thousands on each side of the border.

Lebanon’s Health Minister Firas Abiad told journalists during a tour to hospitals on Wednesday morning that many of the wounded suffered “severe injuries to the eyes” and others had limbs amputated.

Experts believe explosive material was put into the pagers prior to their delivery and use in a sophisticated supply chain infiltration.

The AR-924 pager, advertised as being “rugged,” contains a rechargeable lithium battery, according to specifications once advertised on Gold Apollo’s website before it was apparently taken down on Tuesday after the sabotage attack.

It could receive texts of up to 100 characters.

It also claimed to have up to 85 days of battery life.

That would be crucial in Lebanon, where electricity outages have been common after years of economic collapse. Pagers also run on a different wireless network than mobile phones, making them more resilient in emergencies — one of the reasons why many hospitals worldwide still rely on them.

Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs said from the beginning of 2022 until August 2024, Gold Apollo has exported 260,000 sets of pagers, including more than 40,000 sets between January and August of this year.

The ministry said the pagers were exported mainly to European and American countries and that it had no records of direct exports of Gold Apollo pagers to Lebanon.