Media: Israeli intelligence infiltrates Hezbollah to neutralise its secretary-general

During its 2006 conflict with Hezbollah, Israel made three attempts to assassinate Hassan Nasrallah.

One airstrike missed because he had already departed the location, while the others could not breach the concrete reinforcements of his underground bunker, as reported by two sources knowledgeable about the attempts. On the night of September 27, the Israeli military rectified these failures by locating Nasrallah in a bunker situated deep beneath an apartment complex in southern Beirut, dropping up to 80 bombs to ensure his elimination, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

Israeli intelligence expanded its focus on Hezbollah, looking beyond its military operations to assess its political ambitions, ties with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and Hassan Nasrallah's relationship with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. While Hezbollah's fighters gained experience in Syria's brutal conflict, the group's forces also became more susceptible to Israeli espionage, making it easier for agents to infiltrate or find potential defectors. A former high-ranking Lebanese politician noted that Israeli or US intelligence penetration of Hezbollah was a consequence of their support for Assad. 

Israel's intensified scrutiny of Hezbollah coincided with significant technological advancements, including spy satellites, advanced drones, and cyber-hacking tools that convert mobile phones into surveillance devices. This extensive data collection led to the establishment of Unit 9900, which develops algorithms to analyze vast amounts of visual data, aiming to detect signs of improvised explosive devices, tunnel vents, or newly added concrete reinforcements indicative of bunkers. Once a Hezbollah operative is identified, their movement patterns are tracked and stored in a comprehensive database, compiled from sources like their spouse's phone, smart car mileage, and GPS location.

Israeli officials stated that Nasrallah’s movements can be tracked through various means, including drones overhead, hacked CCTV feeds he passes, and even audio captured by modern TV remote microphones. Any deviation from his routine prompts intelligence officers to investigate, a method that has helped Israel identify mid-level commanders of anti-tank squads harassing IDF troops from across the border. At one point, they monitored individual commanders’ schedules to see if they were suddenly recalled, indicating a potential attack, though this process demanded significant time and patience.

In recent months, Israeli intelligence had nearly perfected a technique to intermittently locate Nasrallah, who was believed to be mostly underground in a network of tunnels and bunkers. Following the events of October 7, Israeli warplanes were dispatched with orders to strike a location identified by the intelligence directorate Aman as Nasrallah's. On September 27, Israeli intelligence reportedly pinpointed his location again, as he entered what the IDF referred to as a "command and control" bunker for a meeting with several senior Hezbollah leaders and a high-ranking Iranian commander from the Revolutionary Guards.

By Naila Huseynova