The Apollo pager was built for use in harsh conditions such as on a battlefield, was waterproof and fitted with an oversized battery that can run for months without charging. And with no risk of being tracked by Israeli intelligence, Hezbollah saw the device as the ultimate communication tool for their needs.
The pagers’ most sinister feature was a two-step de-encryption procedure that ensured most users would be holding the pager with both hands when it detonated.
Israel came up with the pager idea in 2022, and parts of the plan began falling into place more than a year before Hamas’s October 7 attack, The Washington Post reported.
Because Hezbollah leaders were alert to possible sabotage, the pagers could not originate in Israel, the US or any other Israeli ally. So, in 2023, Hezbollah began getting solicitations for the bulk purchase of Taiwanese-branded Apollo pagers, a well-recognised trademark and product line with worldwide distribution and no discernible links to Israeli or Jewish interests. The Taiwanese company had no knowledge of the plan, officials said, according to The Washington Post article.
Most top elected officials in Israel were unaware of the capability until September 12, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu summoned his intelligence advisers for a meeting to discuss potential action against Hezbollah, Israeli officials told the newspaper.