Revealed: Palantir Involved in Israel’s 2024 Lebanon Pager Attacks
US surveillance giant linked to mass-casualty operation that killed 42 people and injured thousands, raising renewed alarm over Washington-backed tech support for Israeli warfare.
Lebanon, PUREWILAYAH.COM — A newly published book has revealed that Palantir, a major US-based surveillance and data-analysis corporation, played a direct role in Israel’s 2024 pager attacks across Lebanon — an operation that killed 42 people and wounded thousands, including civilians and family members of Hezbollah fighters.
According to The Philosopher in the Valley: Alex Karp, Palantir, and the Rise of the Surveillance State, written by Michael Steinberger, Palantir’s software was deployed by Israel as part of “military operations in Lebanon” following the 7 October 2023 escalation.
On 17 September 2024, thousands of pagers belonging to Hezbollah members — and civilians not involved in armed activity — suddenly exploded. Many devices first displayed “error” messages or vibrated loudly, drawing victims closer moments before detonation.
The next day, additional communication devices exploded, including during public funerals for those killed in the initial attacks.
UN experts condemned the operation as a “terrifying” violation of international law, even as several Israeli figures publicly celebrated and mocked the deaths and injuries.
Book: Israel Expanded Use of Palantir Tech After Launching War on Gaza
The book states that Israel expanded its reliance on Palantir technology after beginning its war on Gaza in late 2023, integrating the platform into multiple offensive operations.
Steinberger writes that Palantir tools were employed in missions that “decimated Hezbollah’s top leadership”, and in Operation Grim Beeper, the codename used for the September 2024 attacks in which pagers and walkie-talkies were booby-trapped to explode.
Demand from Israel was so high that Palantir sent engineers from London to support Israeli military units and ensure smooth deployment of its systems.
42 Killed, Thousands Maimed in Coordinated Attack
The dual-series explosions killed 42 people and left thousands with devastating injuries — including blindness, facial trauma, and loss of limbs.
Victims included both Hezbollah members and civilians, as well as relatives who were near the devices when they detonated.
Human rights organizations described the coordinated attack as unprecedented, targeting individuals through personal communication tools in a way that effectively functioned as digitally enhanced explosive traps.
Palestine: UN Report Links Palantir to Broader Israeli Warfare and Surveillance
A July report by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese cited Palantir among US tech companies contributing to Israeli military operations, including in occupied Palestine.
The report found:
Palantir provided predictive policing technology
Infrastructure enabling rapid deployment of military software
An AI platform used by Israel to integrate battlefield data for automated targeting decisions during the Gaza war
UN investigators stated there were reasonable grounds to believe Palantir’s tools supported actions tied to illegal occupation, apartheid, and genocide.
Albanese urged UN member states to suspend trade and investment ties with companies aiding such operations, and called for the International Criminal Court to investigate corporate executives involved in facilitating war crimes.
Growing Scrutiny on U.S. Tech Firms Complicit in Israeli Operations
Rights groups say Palantir’s involvement highlights a broader pattern of US companies enabling Israeli military actions against Lebanon and Palestine. UN experts warn that these technologies have become integral to Israel’s expanded surveillance and targeting mechanisms, which have resulted in mass civilian casualties.
As evidence mounts, calls for accountability — including criminal investigations into corporate actors — continue to intensify worldwide. (PW)