Investigative Report Uncovers the Secrets of the Israeli 'Buttons Operation' and Details of the Shell Company Network

Media sources have revealed details of an extensive investigative report addressing the cyber and intelligence operation carried out by Israel in Lebanon in mid-September 2024, which became known in the media as the 'Buttons Operation'. The investigation sheds light on one of the most mysterious operations in contemporary security history, in which thousands of booby-trapped wireless communication devices were used, leading to over 3,500 casualties, including martyrs and injured.

The investigative work was based on a meticulous tracing of company records and field data in several countries to reconstruct the complex planning network managed by Israeli intelligence. Financial documents showed that 'PAC Consulting', the company contracted by Hezbollah to supply the devices, was merely a front managed by a single person, part of a system of shell companies specifically established to pass the booby-trapped shipments into the party's supply chain.

The investigation includes the first televised testimony from a leading Hezbollah official, who recounts the details of purchasing the devices and the inspection mechanisms they underwent before distribution, confirming that the first shipments entered Lebanese territory before the events of October 7th. The official also revealed the existence of thousands of additional devices that were en route to Lebanon via Turkish territory during the war, and which also contained carefully concealed explosive materials.

On the technical front, the investigation provided a precise engineering breakdown explaining how explosive materials were integrated into the batteries of the pager devices in a way that allowed them to bypass traditional inspection procedures and explosive detection devices. This analysis relied on examining original samples and evidence from devices that did not explode, revealing a high level of professionalism in manufacturing and technical camouflage employed by intelligence agencies to carry out the attack.

Finally, the investigation discussed the legal ramifications of this operation with the help of experts in international humanitarian law, who indicated that the indiscriminate nature of the attack could classify it as a war crime. The criminal responsibility that might pursue the network of intermediaries and companies that contributed to the manufacturing and transport of these devices was also reviewed, emphasizing that the use of civilian tools as explosive traps represents a blatant violation of international norms and conventions.

The operation may amount to a war crime according to analyses by international humanitarian law experts who tracked the manufacturing and marketing process of the booby-trapped devices.