Resolves based on the location where the explosive mechanism was integrated into the pager, i. e. planting the explosive, possible modification or reprogramming of the circuit board, and modifications to other components.
If multiple countries become known as having had similar, substantial share in this, it resolves 1/N for each.
I will resolve based on the media consensus after two weeks. Will extend if no consensus by then.
1,000
3.00Extended for two weeks since I was not able to find any media consensus.
I agree with @Lemming it's unlikely that it will be uncovered anytime soon. I would ask for resolving it n/a if there is still no consensus by then.
"By all appearances, B.A.C. Consulting was a Hungary-based company that was under contract to produce the devices on behalf of a Taiwanese company, Gold Apollo. In fact, it was part of an Israeli front, according to three intelligence officers briefed on the operation. They said at least two other shell companies were created as well to mask the real identities of the people creating the pagers: Israeli intelligence officers.
B.A.C. did take on ordinary clients, for which it produced a range of ordinary pagers. But the only client that really mattered was Hezbollah, and its pagers were far from ordinary. Produced separately, they contained batteries laced with the explosive PETN, according to the three intelligence officers.
The pagers began shipping to Lebanon in the summer of 2022 in small numbers, but production was quickly ramped up after Mr. Nasrallah denounced cellphones."
New York Times, Sep. 18 2024
I would find it hard to believe an operation of this scale - with 5,000 pagers being packed with many kilos of explosives - was carried out outside Israel. If just seems unnecessarily risky to have a full scale manufacturing process with dozens of people involved in another country. Once they're made, they were likely shipped to a third country to send them on to Hezbollah.
I haven't looked at any news sources about this, anything else just seems unlikely to me.