The cyber attack against Hezbollah was orchestrated by CEO Cristiana.

Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli army, which has been bombing Gaza and killing tens of thousands of Palestinians, recently launched a cyber attack on the beepers and radios used by Hezbollah elements in Lebanon. While the attacks, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 40 people and thousands of injuries, occupy the world agenda, new details are emerging about the background of the mysterious explosions.

Although Israel, which is thought to have carried out the attacks, has made no statements on the matter, numerous security and intelligence officials speaking to the US and Israeli press say that the explosions are part of a years-long operation planned and executed by Israel's external intelligence service, Mossad. Shortly after the explosions, many experts reported that Israeli agents had accessed the devices during the supply phase and equipped them with explosives. However, a report by the American New York Times, based on 12 former and current intelligence officials, claims that Israel produced the devices itself. According to the report, Mossad, which noticed that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had a policy of communicating with low-tech devices due to Israel's access to smartphones, is taking action to turn this into an opportunity. The initiative, which Hezbollah sees as a security measure, becomes a means for Israel to hide bombs behind enemy lines.

THOUSANDS OF BEAPERS DELIVERED TO LEBANON

Sources indicate that front companies were established in Bulgaria and Norway, including a company in Hungary named BAC Consulting, which is said to have supplied the beepers. To avoid drawing attention, the company reportedly acquired a few ordinary customers. Security sources in Bulgaria noted that a company in the country was engaged in commercial activities with BAC Consulting in Budapest, and a transfer of 1.6 million euros was sent from Bulgaria to Hungary. Additionally, it was determined that Rinson Jose, the founder of the Bulgarian company Norta Global, also lived in Norway. It is reported that the first devices produced for Hezbollah were delivered in the summer of 2022, and there has been a significant increase in the company's orders as the group shifts from smartphones to low-tech devices. Particularly, it is noted that thousands of beepers were delivered to Lebanon during the past summer months.

One of the mysterious points in the process is the BAC company that supplies the devices and its founder, Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono. The Taiwan-based Gold Apollo company, which holds the license for the beepers, stated that they did not produce the devices involved in the explosions and that they were produced by BAC. The BBC, which examined the financial records of the company established in 2022 in Hungary, reports that despite income being declared in 2022 and 2023, there is no financial data regarding the company's commercial activities. Although the company's website has been inaccessible since yesterday, its LinkedIn profile states that they are collaborating with eight organizations, including the European Commission and the UK Department for International Development, but British officials deny any connection.

"I DO NOT PRODUCE BEAPERS"

Information about Cristiana (49) also raises similar suspicions. According to company records, Barsony-Arcidiacono, who resides in the northern part of Budapest, has not been seen frequently by her neighbors in recent years. Neighbors speaking to the Financial Times say that she lives with her mother and that they have an "external security door" in their home. The woman, who was reached by American NBC on Wednesday, stated, "I do not produce beapers; I am just an intermediary. I think you misunderstood the issue." Different answers are given to the question of "why the devices exploded now." Defense sources from Arab countries believe that the explosions occurred earlier than planned due to the detection of explosives in the devices and the risk of the operation being exposed.

There is also a possibility that the radios that exploded in the second wave of explosions were produced by Israel. The Lebanese Ministry of Communications announced that the radios belonging to the Japanese company ICOM, model IC-V82, exploded during the explosions on Wednesday, but stated that the products were not licensed. The Japanese company's statement also indicates that the radios may have been produced or tampered with outside. The company's statement notes that the mentioned models and batteries were only produced between 2004 and 2014, and that there has been no production or distribution since that date. It is emphasized that the radios involved in the explosions that occurred the day before yesterday did not have the company's hologram seal, suggesting that they may be counterfeit products.