Palantir technology used in 2024 Lebanon pager attacks
A new biography claims that Palantir software was deployed by Israel in its September 2024 pager attacks in Lebanon, which killed 42 people and wounded thousands. The book states that the company dispatched engineers from London to support Israeli military operations after demand surged following the October 2023 Gaza war.
What happened
According to a biography titled 'The Philosopher in the Valley: Alex Karp, Palantir, and the Rise of the Surveillance State' by Michael Steinberger, Palantir software was used by Israel in its September 2024 pager attacks in Lebanon.
The book states that after Israel's war on Gaza began in October 2023, the demand for Palantir's assistance surged, and the company dispatched a team of engineers from London to help get Israeli users online.
On 17 September 2024, thousands of pagers belonging to Hezbollah members, including civilians not involved in armed activity, were detonated across Lebanon. The next day more communication devices exploded, including at funerals of people killed the previous day.
Reported impact
In total, 42 people were killed and thousands wounded in the pager attacks, many left with life-altering injuries to the eyes, face and hands.
United Nations experts called the attacks a 'terrifying' violation of international law, with experts condemning them as potential war crimes and violations of international law.
Index analysis
The book states that Palantir's technology was deployed by the Israelis during military operations in Lebanon in 2024, including Operation Grim Beeper, in which communication devices were booby-trapped to explode.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.