WASHINGTON — Two recently retired senior Israeli intelligence officers provided new insights into a covert operation that targeted Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and Syria using explosive pagers and walkie-talkies. The operation, which took place three months ago, was a culmination of years of meticulous planning by the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, and involved the use of technology and psychological tactics to deceive Hezbollah.
Hezbollah began attacking Israel shortly after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, assault, which led to the broader Israel-Hamas conflict. The retired agents, who appeared on CBS “60 Minutes,” spoke under masks and altered voices to protect their identities. According to one of the agents, referred to as “Michael,” the operation began over a decade ago when Hezbollah unknowingly purchased walkie-talkies from Israel, disguised with hidden explosives. The walkie-talkies were not activated until September, a day after the first wave of explosions from booby-trapped pagers.
The second agent, “Gabriel,” revealed that the idea to use pagers as explosives came in 2022 after Mossad learned Hezbollah was acquiring pagers from a Taiwanese company. Mossad then adapted the devices to house explosives and meticulously tested the pagers to ensure they would cause harm without endangering nearby individuals. The agents worked with shell companies and false advertisements to convince Hezbollah to purchase the enhanced devices.
Hezbollah militants were unaware they were buying devices designed to harm them. “Gabriel” likened the operation to a psychological experiment, comparing it to the 1998 film The Truman Show, where an individual lives in a false world, unaware of the manipulation around them.
By September 17, the pagers had been distributed to Hezbollah fighters, and the operation’s culmination triggered the explosions. Some of the blasts occurred during funerals, resulting in casualties and injuries. According to Gabriel, the operation’s objective was not just to eliminate Hezbollah fighters but to send a message. Injured militants would require costly medical treatment, leaving visible reminders of Israeli strength and dominance in the region.
The attack was followed by Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, which killed thousands. By November, the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, triggered by Hamas’ initial assault, concluded in a ceasefire. The broader implications of this covert operation underscore Israel’s evolving methods of warfare, blending high-tech intelligence with psychological manipulation to target adversaries while avoiding direct confrontation.
For more on Mossad and Israel’s military strategies, visit this article.
