In a startling revelation, two ex-Mossad agents disclosed detailed operations that misled Hezbollah into purchasing explosive-laden Israeli walkie-talkies and pagers. This audacious strategy culminated in a series of deadly detonations across Lebanon, raising serious allegations of war crimes against Israel.
Inside the Covert Operations: Ex-Israeli Agents Uncover Hezbollah's Exploitation of Walkie-Talkies
Inside the Covert Operations: Ex-Israeli Agents Uncover Hezbollah's Exploitation of Walkie-Talkies
Two former Mossad operatives share shocking insights into how Hezbollah was deceived through booby-trapped communications devices, leading to mass casualties in Lebanon.
Two former Israeli intelligence officers have opened up about a shocking covert operation that deceived the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah into using explosive-laden Israeli walkie-talkies and pagers, culminating in large-scale casualties during a sudden attack in September this year. In an interview on CBS News, the ex-Mossad agents revealed how they orchestrated a decade-long deception, selling Hezbollah over 16,000 modified walkie-talkies and later pagers, which were meticulously rigged with explosives to detonate when activated.
The agents, identified only as Michael and Gabriel, explained how the Israeli intelligence service masked their involvement through intricate shell companies, creating an illusion of legitimate supplies sourced from non-Israeli producers. Michael disclosed that the concealed explosives were placed within the batteries of the walkie-talkies, typically kept on the user's body, causing devastating injuries when activated. According to UN human rights officials, the attacks were deemed a potential war crime due to the high civilian toll, including fatalities among those not affiliated with Hezbollah.
The tragic series of events began following escalated tensions, in which Hezbollah responded aggressively after an assault by Hamas on southern Israeli territories. On September 17, 2024, the pagers rigged by Mossad exploded throughout Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon, killing and injuring thousands. The subsequent morning, walkie-talkies rigged in a similar fashion unleashed further havoc, amplifying panic across the region.
Details revealed by the agents indicated that the operation’s design intensified following Hezbollah's procurement of pagers from the Taiwanese firm Gold Apollo. The agents ingeniously fabricated the supply chain, ensuring that Hezbollah remained oblivious to their true origins. Gabriel stated that Mossad crafted promotional content to entice Hezbollah buyers into purchasing the impostor pagers.
In the aftermath of the detonations, Israel acknowledged its role, leading to retaliatory air strikes and a ground invasion into Lebanon targeting Hezbollah positions. The two sides ceased hostilities on November 26, but the ramifications of the covert operation have drawn sharp criticism from Lebanese officials as well as international authorities. The UN's Volker Turk expressed outrage at the events, asserting that the actions violated both international human rights and humanitarian laws, complicating the already tense regional dynamics.
