Former Israeli Agents Detail Execution of Explosive Device Attacks

Two former Israeli intelligence operatives have disclosed the method by which members of the Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah utilized Israeli-manufactured walkie-talkies containing hidden explosives for a decade prior to their detonation in a sudden assault in September of the current year. These two former Mossad agents informed CBS News that Hezbollah was deceived into acquiring thousands of modified walkie-talkies and pagers, unaware of their Israeli origin. The assaults resulted in dozens of fatalities and thousands of injuries. While Israel stated the operation was designed to target only Hezbollah operatives, Lebanese officials reported that civilians were also among those affected. The UN human rights chief characterized the attack as a war crime. When the attack occurred, Israel and Hezbollah were engaged in an escalating conflict that had intensified after Hezbollah launched rockets at Israeli positions a day following Hamas’s unprecedented assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023. On 17 September of the current year, thousands of pagers detonated concurrently throughout Lebanon, primarily in regions with a significant Hezbollah presence. These explosions either wounded or killed users and individuals in close proximity, causing widespread panic and disarray. The subsequent day, walkie-talkies similarly exploded, leading to hundreds more deaths and injuries. Two months subsequent to the events, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Israel’s culpability, as reported by Israeli media at that time. During an interview with CBS, which is the BBC’s US media partner, the two former agents disclosed specifics regarding the operation. One of the agents, identified as Michael, stated that Mossad had hidden an explosive device within the batteries powering the walkie-talkies, which he noted were commonly worn in a vest close to the user’s heart. He further explained that Hezbollah had unknowingly purchased more than 16,000 walkie-talkies at “a good price” from a fictitious company a decade prior. “We have an incredible array of possibilities of creating foreign companies that have no way of being traced back to Israel,” Michael stated. “Shell companies over shell companies to affect the supply chain to our favour. “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.” According to CBS, the operation was broadened two years ago to incorporate pagers. Mossad indicated that it had discovered Hezbollah was, at that time, procuring pagers from a Taiwanese firm named Gold Apollo. The agency then established a counterfeit company that utilized the Gold Apollo brand on pagers equipped with explosives, unbeknownst to the original company. CBS reported that Mossad embedded explosives designed to be potent enough to injure only the individual user. “We test everything triple, double, multiple times in order to make sure there is minimum damage,” stated the second agent, referred to as Gabriel in the program. The report added that Mossad deliberately selected a ringtone intended to convey sufficient urgency to prompt a user to check an incoming message. Gabriel explained that the agency deceived Hezbollah into purchasing the pagers by creating and disseminating advertising films and brochures online. “When they are buying from us, they have zero clue that they are buying from the Mossad,” he remarked. “We make like [movie] Truman Show, everything is controlled by us behind the scene.” By September 2024, Hezbollah had acquired 5,000 of these explosive-rigged pagers, as reported by CBS. The devices were activated from Israel when Mossad reportedly grew concerned that Hezbollah was developing suspicions. The detonations generated widespread shockwaves across Lebanon, occurring wherever the pagers were present, including in supermarkets. Hospitals became inundated with casualties, many of whom sustained severe injuries. Gabriel mentioned a “strong rumour” suggesting that individuals also became victims in the presence of the then-Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Several days subsequent, while Hezbollah was still recovering from the assault, Israel initiated intense aerial bombardments against Hezbollah targets, which were then followed by a ground invasion of Lebanon. A ceasefire was agreed upon by both parties on 26 November. Lebanon issued a strong condemnation of the pager and walkie-talkie attacks, and the UN’s human rights chief, Volker Turk, expressed that he was “appalled” by them. The method of these attacks, he stated, “violates international human rights law and, as applicable, international humanitarian law”. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.