A clandestine operation involving explosive-laden pagers and walkie-talkies sold to Hezbollah by Mossad led to widespread casualties in Lebanon last September, raising serious ethical concerns and international outrage.**
Revelations from Ex-Israeli Agents: The Booby-Trapped Pager Operation Against Hezbollah**
Revelations from Ex-Israeli Agents: The Booby-Trapped Pager Operation Against Hezbollah**
Former Mossad operatives disclose the secretive methods used in a devastating surprise attack against Hezbollah, which employed rigged communication devices.**
In a startling revelation, two former Israeli intelligence agents detailed how a decade-long covert operation utilizing booby-trapped communication devices culminated in a devastating surprise attack against Hezbollah in September this year. The operatives, who spoke to CBS News, explained how Israeli-made walkie-talkies and pagers, rigged with explosives, were covertly sold to the militant group, resulting in significant loss of life and injury.
On 17 September 2024, simultaneous explosions of the compromised communication devices occurred in various Hezbollah strongholds across Lebanon, wreaking havoc and instilling panic among the populace. Reports indicated that the attacks resulted in fatalities and thousands were wounded, including innocent bystanders who fell victim to the blasts. In the days that followed, Israel acknowledged responsibility for the operation, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirming the orchestrated attacks.
The operation began when Israeli operatives sold over 16,000 walkie-talkies, concealing explosive devices within their batteries designed to detonate when used. One of the agents, identified only as Michael, revealed the ingenious methods employed to disguise the origin of these devices. “We created shell companies to affect the supply chain to our favour,” he remarked, painting a picture of a complex web spun by the Mossad.
As the operation progressed, it expanded to include pagers, enticing Hezbollah into purchasing 5,000 of the devices rigged to explode—this time cleverly marketed under a fake Taiwanese company known as Gold Apollo. The agents told CBS that each device was equipped with explosives that would inflict harm only on the user, meticulously crafted to minimize broader collateral damage. They even selected an urgent ringtone to entice users into checking their messages, unwittingly triggering deadly blasts.
The implications of the operation were vast, with explosions reported in various public spaces, including supermarkets and hospitals, overwhelming emergency services. The fallout from the operation was intense, leading to a series of retaliatory airstrikes by Israel on Hezbollah positions and subsequent military incursions into Lebanon.
International responses quickly followed, with Lebanon condemning the attacks outright and the UN’s human rights chief denouncing the methods used as violations of international law. “These actions have left many appalled,” he stated, emphasizing the need for accountability and acknowledgment of human rights abuses in the fragile region. Days after the catastrophe, both sides entered negotiations that led to a ceasefire by the end of November 2024, although the scars from the explosive episode remain deeply etched in the fabric of Lebanon's society and politics.
On 17 September 2024, simultaneous explosions of the compromised communication devices occurred in various Hezbollah strongholds across Lebanon, wreaking havoc and instilling panic among the populace. Reports indicated that the attacks resulted in fatalities and thousands were wounded, including innocent bystanders who fell victim to the blasts. In the days that followed, Israel acknowledged responsibility for the operation, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirming the orchestrated attacks.
The operation began when Israeli operatives sold over 16,000 walkie-talkies, concealing explosive devices within their batteries designed to detonate when used. One of the agents, identified only as Michael, revealed the ingenious methods employed to disguise the origin of these devices. “We created shell companies to affect the supply chain to our favour,” he remarked, painting a picture of a complex web spun by the Mossad.
As the operation progressed, it expanded to include pagers, enticing Hezbollah into purchasing 5,000 of the devices rigged to explode—this time cleverly marketed under a fake Taiwanese company known as Gold Apollo. The agents told CBS that each device was equipped with explosives that would inflict harm only on the user, meticulously crafted to minimize broader collateral damage. They even selected an urgent ringtone to entice users into checking their messages, unwittingly triggering deadly blasts.
The implications of the operation were vast, with explosions reported in various public spaces, including supermarkets and hospitals, overwhelming emergency services. The fallout from the operation was intense, leading to a series of retaliatory airstrikes by Israel on Hezbollah positions and subsequent military incursions into Lebanon.
International responses quickly followed, with Lebanon condemning the attacks outright and the UN’s human rights chief denouncing the methods used as violations of international law. “These actions have left many appalled,” he stated, emphasizing the need for accountability and acknowledgment of human rights abuses in the fragile region. Days after the catastrophe, both sides entered negotiations that led to a ceasefire by the end of November 2024, although the scars from the explosive episode remain deeply etched in the fabric of Lebanon's society and politics.
