An electronics manufacturer in Taiwan, Gold Apollo, denied making the pagers used by Hezbollah in the explosions that rocked Lebanon, killing nine people and injuring thousands. The pagers bore stickers from Gold Apollo, but were actually made by another company, BAC, licensed to use their brand. Gold Apollo emphasized that they are a responsible company and had no involvement in the explosions. Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs confirmed that Gold Apollo primarily exported pagers to European and American markets, with no direct exports to Lebanon.
The explosions in Lebanon came amidst heightened tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, leading to concerns of escalation into all-out war. Lebanon’s foreign ministry accused Israel of a cyber attack and planned to file a complaint with the U.N. Security Council. The U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon and the State Department Spokesperson expressed grave concern over the escalation.
Hezbollah, which typically uses pagers to avoid surveillance by Israel, vowed to launch a severe reckoning against the perpetrators of the explosions. The group stated that civilians, including a girl and two brothers, were among those killed, with some incidents captured on CCTV. Gold Apollo’s founder, Hsu Ching-kuang, expressed shock and considered legal action to clear his company’s name from any involvement in the tragic events. The investigation into the explosions continues to determine the true origins of the pagers used in the attacks.
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