What's With The Memes About 'Exploding Pagers'? The Unusual Attack On Hezbollah In Internet Memes Explained

There's barely anything that people are too shy to meme about these days, and the recent deadly attack on the Lebanese Islamist group Hezbollah, which involved remote detonation of pagers, radios and other electronics used by its members, has not been an exception.

If you've been seeing memes about pagers this week but haven't heard the news, we imagine this would make for some pretty confusing reactions while perusing the internet lately.

So, what exactly happened, and where do the memes about exploding pagers come from? Learn everything there is to know in our explainer about the latest memetic wave online amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

What Is the 2024 Pager Attack On Hezbollah?

The pager and radio attacks on Hezbollah refer to two covert attacks on the Lebanese Islamist political party and paramilitary group Hezbollah in mid-September 2024, which involved two simultaneous remote explosions of encrypted pagers, radios, receivers and other electronics used by members of the group.

The attacks, which Hezbollah blames Israeli intelligence agency Mossad for, resulted in the deaths of at least 37 people and injuries of about 3,450, including civilian deaths and injuries according to Lebanon's health ministry.

The attack targeted electronic devices – first pagers, and later walkie-talkies and radios – used by members of Hezbollah, an organization that is recognized as a terrorist group by over 20 countries, including Israel, the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom.

The first attack took place on Tuesday, September 17th, as devices simultaneously exploded in several areas in Lebanon, including Beirut's Dahieh suburb and Beqaa Valley where the group has a strong presence. Approximately 24 hours later, the second attack took place.

According to analysts, the attack presumably involved the perpetrator intercepting a shipment of pagers ordered by Hezbollah for further distribution among its members and rigging the devices with explosives and a means to detonate them. The exact details of how the attack was carried out are yet unknown, and Israel has not claimed responsibility for the event.

Who Has Been Making Memes About The Attack?

The deadly attack has rapidly become a viral subject of discussions and memes on social media and various sites this week, in part due to the unusual tactic, which has seen no parallels in modern warfare.

The operation has been widely celebrated by pro-Israel accounts on social media but has also drawn criticism over the explosions from some, namely for the resulting civilian casualties.

Various memes about the attack have been widely circulated on social media in the aftermath of the event, ranging from jokes about "that one guy" who ordered the deadly shipment …

… to memes imagining what the last message received by the pagers before they exploded could have been. Many memes have also been referencing the fact that many explosions went off directly in Hezbollah members' pockets.

Finally, the presumed involvement of Israel and its intelligence service Mossad in the attack from many following the incident has also been frequently referenced in various ways.

For the full history of the 2024 Pager Attack on Hezbollah and its use in memes, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.