Taiwan Denies Making Components in Explosive Pagers Linked to Hezbollah Attack

Taiwan’s economy minister confirmed on Friday that components used in the thousands of pagers that exploded in Lebanon on Tuesday, killing 37 people and wounding about 3,000, were not manufactured in Taiwan. This clarification came amid a rising conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which is believed to be responsible for the deadly detonations, although it has not officially commented on the attacks.

The pagers, traced back to Budapest-based BAC Consulting, carried branding from Taiwan’s Gold Apollo, which denies manufacturing the devices. Taiwan’s Economy Minister, Kuo Jyh-huei, emphasized, “I can say with certainty they were not made in Taiwan,” and noted that the incident is under investigation by Taiwanese judicial authorities.

Questions remain about how and when the pagers and the radios used by Hezbollah were weaponized to detonate remotely. Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung dismissed concerns of diplomatic fallout with Israel, stating he had not met with the Israeli envoy.

Gold Apollo’s president, Hsu Ching-kuang, was questioned by prosecutors along with Teresa Wu, the sole employee of Apollo System, linked to the deal with BAC. Taiwan’s Shilin District Prosecutors Office is investigating possible involvement by local companies to ensure national security.

Hezbollah has vowed retaliation against Israel, raising fears of further escalation in the already tense cross-border conflict that began last October.