Phones explode in hands days after Israel allowed large number of devices into Gaza

Two cases of mobile phone explosions have surfaced in Gaza, days after Israel allowed a major shipment of devices into the enclave, according to local residents.

Omar Hamad, a pharmacist and writer from Gaza, wrote on X about a case where a phone exploded in someone’s hand, noting that this was the second such incident to emerge within two days.

He expressed concern, saying: “There is a malfunction in the mobile devices that recently entered Gaza.”

A mobile phone exploded in the hand of a Gaza resident. This is the second case in two days. There is a malfunction in the mobile devices that recently entered Gaza.

— Omar Hamad | عُـمَـرْ 𓂆 (@OmarHamadD) November 24, 2025

A video shared by several accounts on X showed a large shipment of various phone models arriving in Gaza, prompting many to question why Israel allowed phones to enter while continuing to block essential aid.

Social media users said that Israel allowed such a large number of phones into Gaza for surveillance purposes, as Israeli officials have previously admitted to tracking Palestinians’ phones in the territory.

Israel sent in these phones to Gaza phones just 4 days ago

pic.twitter.com/Bsq7AFvabk

— 𝙎👼🏻 (@SZade15) November 24, 2025

According to reports, the Israeli army had been using Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform to store vast amounts of civilian data, including daily phone calls made inside Gaza. In September, American tech giant Microsoft announced that it had blocked Israel’s access to technology used for the mass surveillance of Palestinians.

Last year, Israel reportedly hacked and detonated thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon to target Hezbollah members and civilians. The attacks left more than 3,000 people critically wounded, with many losing limbs or eyes.

It was later revealed that the pagers were manufactured in Israel and sold to Hezbollah at lower prices, while the walkie-talkies had explosives installed in them and were remotely detonated by Israel. The UN condemned the attack and declared it a war crime.