In a shocking revelation, former Israeli intelligence operatives have detailed a complex and deadly operation targeting Hezbollah. This wasn’t your typical spy game; it involved everyday devices turned into instruments of destruction. Get ready to dive into the world of covert ops, where deception and technology meet.
Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll uncover in this article:
- How Israel used booby-trapped pagers and walkie-talkies against Hezbollah.
- The elaborate ruse to get Hezbollah to buy these explosive devices.
- The psychological impact of the attacks.
The Decade-Long Deception
The operation, a masterclass in deception, began a decade ago. Israeli agents, using the alias ‘Michael’, revealed that they started by selling Hezbollah booby-trapped walkie-talkies. Unbeknownst to Hezbollah, their enemy was their supplier. These weren’t ordinary devices; they were designed to explode.
Pagers of Doom
Phase two involved something even more insidious: exploding pagers. According to ‘Gabriel’, another agent, this phase kicked off in 2022. After discovering Hezbollah’s pager source was a company in Taiwan, the Mossad hatched a plan. They needed to make the pagers slightly larger to hide explosives, and then test them rigorously to ensure they would only harm the intended targets, not bystanders. They even tested ringtones to make sure they were urgent enough to make a person pull out the device.
The ‘Truman Show’ of Espionage
To make Hezbollah switch to the modified pagers, the Mossad went to extreme lengths, using fake ads on YouTube, boasting about the devices’ supposed superior features, such as being waterproof and having long battery life. They even established shell companies, including one in Hungary, to trick the Taiwanese manufacturer, Gold Apollo, into working with the Mossad without knowing it. It was a real-life ‘Truman Show,’ where Hezbollah was living in a false reality orchestrated by their enemy.
The Day of the Beeping
By September, Hezbollah had 5,000 of these explosive pagers. On September 17th, Israel activated the devices, which began to beep all over Lebanon. If the device wasn’t opened fast enough, it exploded. The next day, the Mossad detonated the walkie-talkies, some of which exploded at funerals of the victims. The intention wasn’t just to kill, but also to inflict psychological damage, creating a constant state of fear. It wasn’t just about the dead, but those wounded, a constant reminder: “don’t mess with us.”
Beyond the Explosions: A Message Sent
The attacks were designed to send a clear message. The chaos and fear were meant to demonstrate Israel’s power in the region. One agent mentioned how people were afraid to even turn on their air conditioners, worried they too might explode. This created an environment of vulnerability and uncertainty. The agents noted they can’t use pagers again and that Hezbollah now has to try and guess the next move.
The operation ended in a ceasefire, following Israel’s air strikes in Lebanon, which killed thousands, and the assassination of Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah. But the psychological scars remain. This isn’t just a tale of war; it’s a chilling example of how technology can be weaponized.
Additional Information:
- Hezbollah, a powerful Shia Islamist political party and militant group, is based in Lebanon.
- The Mossad is Israel’s national intelligence agency.
