Media: Mossad reveals details of pager operation against Hezbollah

Israeli intelligence agents have revealed new details of a covert operation in September 2024 that dealt a severe blow to Hezbollah, as part of a strategy to cripple the group ahead of Israel's planned ground offensive in Lebanon.

Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence service, orchestrated the simultaneous detonation of thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah militants, Caliber.Az reports via Channel 12. 

This operation, which was approved for disclosure by the Israeli military censors, targeted approximately 4,000 of the group’s fighters.

Hezbollah had previously moved away from high-tech devices and smartphones, which could easily be tracked by Israeli intelligence, opting for "armoured" pagers to avoid detection. The devices were believed to be secure and capable of withstanding field conditions, but Mossad took advantage of this shift in technology to plant modified pagers.

The detonations, triggered by an encrypted message requiring the simultaneous pressing of two buttons, caused massive disruption within the group. Hezbollah's Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah reportedly witnessed several senior commanders’ pagers explode during a meeting, a moment that made a lasting impression on him.

The operation, described as a significant setback for Hezbollah, was intended to diminish the group’s capabilities ahead of Israel's ground operations. Israeli sources said the attack had a "substantial deterrent effect" on both Hezbollah and its Iranian backers, effectively disrupting the group's operations and weakening its military structure.

Mossad also launched a disinformation campaign through Hezbollah’s suppliers to ensure that the group acquired the modified pagers, which were designed to appear as reliable and advanced technology. The detonation of the pagers, which occurred in a highly coordinated and simultaneous manner, marked a major intelligence victory for Israel in its ongoing efforts to counter Hezbollah's activities in the region.

Hezbollah's loss of secure communication devices is seen as a significant blow to its operational effectiveness in the volatile Middle East.

Note that, the devastating blasts, which occurred on September 17, affected various regions including southern Lebanon, the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and Damascus. According to Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad, the explosions resulted in over 37 fatalities and approximately 4,000 injuries, with around 400 individuals in critical condition. The blasts were caused by the explosion of pagers used by Hezbollah members and possibly others.

A senior Lebanese security source claimed that "Israel infiltrated the communication system of the individual devices and brought them to life." Hezbollah officials, speaking anonymously, described the pager bombing as the "largest security breach" the group has experienced in nearly a year of conflict with Israel.

By Aghakazim Guliyev