Two former agents of Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, have disclosed how Hezbollah operatives unknowingly used Israeli-made walkie-talkies and pagers rigged with explosives for a decade. These devices were later detonated in a coordinated surprise attack in September 2024.
Speaking to US-based CBS News, the ex-agents revealed how Mossad duped Hezbollah into purchasing thousands of compromised communication devices without realizing their Israeli origin. The agents detailed that the devices were sold through a network of fake companies set up by Mossad to conceal the operation’s origins.
The September 17, 2024 attack saw thousands of booby-trapped pagers explode simultaneously across Lebanon, particularly in areas with strong Hezbollah presence. These explosions caused significant casualties, killing or injuring users and those nearby. The next day, a similar fate befell walkie-talkies, leading to hundreds more casualties. While Israel claimed the attacks targeted only Hezbollah members, Lebanese officials reported civilian casualties as well. The United Nations’ human rights chief condemned the incident as a “war crime.”
At the time, Lebanon was embroiled in a conflict with Israel, which had escalated following Hezbollah’s retaliatory attacks after Hamas launched an unprecedented offensive on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
In a subsequent interview, one agent, referred to as “Michael,” explained that explosives were concealed within the batteries of the walkie-talkies, devices Hezbollah had unknowingly purchased in bulk a decade ago. Michael noted that over 16,000 units had been sold to Hezbollah through a fictitious company offering competitive prices.
“We create a pretend world,” he said, elaborating on Mossad’s use of shell companies to manipulate the supply chain. “We write the screenplay, we’re the directors, we’re the producers, and the world is our stage.”
The operation expanded two years ago to include pagers. According to the report, Mossad identified Hezbollah’s reliance on Taiwanese-made Gold Apollo pagers and set up a fake subsidiary under the same name. These rigged pagers were marketed with Mossad’s covert advertisements, tricking Hezbollah into purchasing approximately 5,000 units. The devices were detonated remotely from Israel once Mossad suspected Hezbollah had grown suspicious of the technology.
The blasts, which caused widespread devastation across Lebanon, were triggered in supermarkets, hospitals, and other public spaces, overwhelming medical facilities with casualties. Among the victims, there were rumors of individuals close to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah being injured or killed.
Following the attacks, Israel launched an intensive wave of airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions, culminating in a ground invasion. The conflict persisted until a ceasefire agreement was reached on November 26, 2024.
The attacks drew sharp condemnation from Lebanese authorities and international organizations. UN human rights chief Volker Türk decried the methods employed, asserting that they “violated international human rights law and international humanitarian law where applicable.”
