JERUSALEM (AP) — Two former Mossad agents revealed that Israel orchestrated a devastating attack against Hezbollah using booby-trapped communications devices, secretly planted over a decade before their simultaneous detonation in September 2024.
In interviews with CBS News, the agents detailed how Mossad created shell companies to sell explosives-laden walkie-talkies and pagers to the Lebanese militant group. The operation resulted in dozens of deaths and thousands of injuries when the devices were detonated across Lebanon.
The agents, identified only as Michael and Gabriel, said Hezbollah unknowingly purchased more than 16,000 walkie-talkies and 5,000 pagers through fake companies established by Mossad. The explosives were concealed within device batteries, specifically designed to be worn close to users’ hearts.
“We create a pretend world,” Michael said. “We’re the directors, we’re the producers, we’re the main actors, and the world is our stage.”
The operation expanded two years ago to include pagers disguised under a stolen Taiwanese brand name. The devices were triggered remotely from Israel when intelligence suggested Hezbollah might be growing suspicious.
The attacks occurred amid escalating tensions following Hamas’s October 2023 assault on Israel. While Israel claimed the operation targeted only Hezbollah members, Lebanese officials reported civilian casualties. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk condemned the attacks as war crimes.
The explosions preceded intense Israeli airstrikes against Hezbollah and a ground invasion of Lebanon, ending with a November 26 ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Israel’s responsibility two months after the attacks.
“We test everything triple, double, multiple times to ensure minimum damage,” Gabriel told CBS, though the operation’s scope suggested broader collateral effects. Hospitals were overwhelmed with casualties, many suffering severe injuries from explosions in public spaces.
The revelations provide unprecedented insight into Israel’s long-term intelligence operations against Hezbollah, demonstrating sophisticated infiltration of supply chains and weaponization of everyday technology.
