Inside Israel's Clandestine Operation Against Hezbollah: Exploding Pagers and Walkie-Talkies

Israeli intelligence agents revealed details about a covert operation targeting Hezbollah militants using exploding pagers and walkie-talkies. The operation spanned a decade and was aimed at warning Hezbollah of Israel's strength. The mission heightened tensions in the region during the Israel-Hezbollah war and ended with a ceasefire.

Two former senior Israeli intelligence agency operatives have unveiled a covert operation involving exploding pagers and walkie-talkies that targeted Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and Syria. This secretive mission culminated three months ago, amidst the Israel-Hezbollah confrontation that followed Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

In a Sunday night interview with CBS's '60 Minutes', the agents, using the aliases Michael and Gabriel, shared how their decade-long plan duped Hezbollah into acquiring the rigged devices. The mission's ultimate goal was to send a stark warning to Hezbollah of Israel’s capabilities, rather than merely eliminate fighters.

The operatives recounted how the operation, relying on shell companies and deceptive advertising, eventually led to wide-scale panic in Lebanon, further escalating the tensions in the region. The fallout included significant airstrikes by Israel and a ceasefire that ended the conflict.

(With inputs from agencies.)