A newly published biography has revealed that Israel deployed sophisticated software from the American technology firm Palantir during its controversial 2024 pager bombings in Lebanon. The operation, which targeted communications devices belonging to Hezbollah members, resulted in significant casualties and has drawn condemnation from international human rights experts.
According to author Michael Steinberger’s ‘The Philosopher in the Valley: Alex Karp, Palantir, and the Rise of the Surveillance State,’ Israel significantly expanded its utilization of Palantir’s technology following the outbreak of conflict in Gaza in October 2023. The book details how this partnership culminated in ‘Operation Grim Beeper,’ where hundreds of Hezbollah fighters were injured by exploding pagers and walkie-talkies that had been covertly rigged with explosives.
The September 17 attacks saw thousands of pagers detonate simultaneously across Lebanon. Many devices displayed ‘error’ messages and emitted intense vibrations before explosion, effectively drawing victims—including both combatants and civilians—into proximity at the moment of detonation. Subsequent explosions occurred the following day during public funerals for those killed in the initial attacks.
The aftermath left 42 people dead and thousands wounded, with many survivors sustaining life-altering injuries to their eyes, faces, and hands. While Israeli officials celebrated the operation’s success, United Nations experts condemned the tactics as ‘terrifying’ violations of international law.
Steinberger’s account notes that Israel’s demand for Palantir’s assistance became so substantial that the company dispatched a team of engineers from London to support Israeli users. This revelation comes amid growing scrutiny of technology companies’ involvement in military operations against Palestinians and neighboring states.
A July report by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese accused several tech firms, including Palantir, of profiting from ‘crimes including illegal occupation, apartheid and genocide in occupied Palestine.’ The report specifically cited Palantir’s provision of ‘automatic predictive policing technology’ and its ‘Artificial Intelligence Platform,’ which enables real-time battlefield data integration for automated decision-making.
Albanese called on UN member states to suspend trade agreements with entities endangering Palestinians and urged international courts to pursue investigations against corporate executives for potential complicity in international crimes. Middle East Eye has reached out to Palantir for comment regarding these allegations.