Two former Mossad agents have disclosed the extensive planning behind Israel’s pager and walkie-talkie explosive attacks targeting Hezbollah members in September 2024. Speaking under pseudonyms, “Michael” and “Gabriel,” the retired officers revealed the decade-long operation during an interview aired on 60 Minutes.
The operation began nearly ten years ago with Mossad’s strategy to infiltrate Hezbollah’s supply chains. Using rigged walkie-talkies, Mossad concealed explosive devices within the units, eventually selling 16,000 devices to Hezbollah through shell companies. The devices, manufactured at a Mossad facility in Israel, were detonated on September 18, 2024, a day after the pager attacks.
According to Michael, the initial challenge was securing approval from their superiors and maintaining operational secrecy. Shell companies disguised Mossad’s involvement, fooling even Gold Apollo, a Taiwanese manufacturer, into granting licensing agreements. This covert operation was likened to The Truman Show, with Hezbollah unaware they were central to Mossad’s controlled environment.
In 2022, the agency developed explosive-rigged pagers as a second phase. Gabriel explained that Mossad engineered slightly larger pagers to accommodate explosives while ensuring they functioned seamlessly. These devices were tested to injure only the carrier without harming bystanders. The pagers were marketed as durable and feature-rich, successfully enticing Hezbollah to purchase 5,000 units.
The meticulously planned pager attacks were timed to explode seven seconds after activation—matching the average response time for answering a pager. On September 17, Mossad Chief Dadi Barnea authorized the operation, targeting Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon and Syria. These attacks, alongside the walkie-talkie explosions, resulted in 30 fatalities and thousands of injuries.
The strikes occurred amidst heightened tensions following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that escalated the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Mossad’s sophisticated operations demonstrated its readiness to adapt and strike with precision, further deepening the crisis for the Iran-backed group.