Ex-Mossad Agents Detail Decade-long Covert Hezbollah Pager Operation

Two retired Israeli intelligence agents disclosed details of the clandestine operation targeting Hezbollah fighters using pagers and walkie-talkies embedded with explosives.

The agents, who spoke anonymously on CBS’s 60 Minutes, revealed that the operation spanned a decade and culminated in attacks this September. The operation was part of Israel’s counteroffensive against the Iran-backed Hezbollah following Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages.

One of the agents revealed that the operation began over a decade ago with the infiltration of walkie-talkies containing hidden explosives into Hezbollah’s supply chain. By 2022, Mossad modified pagers bought by Hezbollah from Taiwan's Gold Apollo using shell companies, including one in Hungary. Over 5,000 booby-trapped pagers, unknowingly acquired by Hezbollah, exploded in Lebanon, killing over two dozen and injuring many. A day later, rigged walkie-talkies detonated, causing additional casualties.

Designed to detonate upon activation or spontaneously, the devices spread fear among Hezbollah operatives. The pagers were meticulously tested to ensure the explosives targeted only the holder. Ringtones were crafted to sound urgent, encouraging operatives to handle the devices.

A second agent noted it took two weeks to convince Hezbollah to adopt the slightly larger, booby-trapped pagers by promoting them as waterproof, dustproof, and long-lasting through false YouTube ads.

Mossad triggered the explosives remotely on September 17, causing simultaneous detonations. Users were instructed to press two buttons for an encrypted message—a ruse to ensure both hands were on the device. The following day, pre-rigged walkie-talkies exploded, including during funerals of pager victims.

The second agent highlighted that the operation aimed to demoralize Hezbollah as much as to harm its personnel. The psychological impact extended to Hassan Nasrallah, who reportedly witnessed explosions injuring operatives near him in his bunker. Two days later, Nasrallah appeared defeated in a televised speech, the agent claimed. Israeli forces later targeted his bunker, resulting in his assassination.

The attacks led to widespread fear in Lebanon, with civilians hesitating to use air conditioners, fearing they might also explode. “We want them to feel vulnerable,” the first agent said. “They’ll have to keep on trying to guess what the next thing is.”