Two former Israeli intelligence operatives have disclosed how members of the Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah unknowingly used Israeli-made walkie-talkies rigged with explosives for a decade before they were detonated in a surprise attack this past September.
In an interview with CBS News, the ex-Mossad agents explained that Hezbollah had been tricked into purchasing thousands of the manipulated devices without realizing their origin. The resulting explosions led to dozens of fatalities and thousands of injuries, impacting not only Hezbollah members but also innocent civilians, according to Lebanese officials. The UN human rights chief has condemned the attack as a war crime.
The incident occurred during heightened conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which escalated after Hezbollah fired on Israeli positions following Hamas’s unprecedented assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. On September 17, the detonation of the pagers occurred simultaneously across Lebanon, primarily in areas with significant Hezbollah presence, creating chaos and confusion. A day later, similar explosions from walkie-talkies resulted in additional casualties.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Israel’s involvement two months later, according to reports at the time.
In the CBS interview, one agent, identified as Michael, detailed the operation, explaining that explosives were covertly installed within the batteries used in the walkie-talkies, strategically placed close to the wearer’s heart. He noted that Hezbollah had unwittingly purchased over 16,000 walkie-talkies from a fake company at a “good price” a decade ago.
“We create a pretend world. We are a global production company. We write the screenplay, we’re the directors, we’re the producers, we’re the main actors, and the world is our stage,” Michael stated.
The operation expanded to include pagers two years ago, with Mossad creating a fake company that mimicked a Taiwanese supplier called Gold Apollo. The pagers were rigged with explosives without the parent company’s knowledge.
The agents ensured the explosives were powerful enough to harm only the user. “We test everything triple, double, multiple times to minimize collateral damage,” the second agent, referred to as Gabriel, said. To ensure their effectiveness, Mossad selected a ringtone that would prompt urgency in checking messages.
Gabriel elaborated on the deception, revealing they produced promotional materials for the pagers, making it convincing that Hezbollah was purchasing from a legitimate source. “When they are buying from us, they have zero clue that they are buying from the Mossad,” he explained, likening their operation to a controlled production.
By September 2024, Hezbollah had acquired 5,000 of the modified pagers. The devices were detonated remotely from Israel as Mossad grew concerned that Hezbollah might become suspicious. The explosions reverberated throughout Lebanon, occurring in public spaces, including supermarkets, and overwhelming hospitals with casualties.
Gabriel noted there were unconfirmed reports that victims were injured in close proximity to Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, during the chaos. In the aftermath of the attack, Israel launched intensified airstrikes against Hezbollah targets, followed by a ground invasion of Lebanon. A ceasefire was eventually agreed upon on November 26.
Lebanon condemned the attacks, while UN’s human rights chief, Volker Turk, expressed his dismay at the events. He stated that the methods used in the attacks “violate international human rights law and, as applicable, international humanitarian law.”
Credit: BBC News
