Israeli spies reveal details of attack against Hezbollah

Israeli intelligence agents have revealed new details about the pager bombings in Lebanon. Former agents appeared on CBS's "60 Minutes" program to explain how the attack was organized.

The beginning of the plan

One former agent, who identified himself as "Michael," said that preparations for the operation began a decade ago. He was unaware at the time that Hezbollah members had purchased specially modified radios from Israel. Later, in 2022, it was discovered that Hezbollah was purchasing pagers from a Taiwanese company.

Mossad agents made the pagers slightly larger in order to secretly place explosives on them.

The second phase of the attack

Mossad agents used false advertising and additional techniques to persuade Hezbollah to switch to heavier pagers. They also distributed false information about the pagers as waterproof devices to make them appear more reliable.

By September 2022, Hezbollah members had about 5,000 pagers. The attack began on September 17 when these pagers went off. Following the explosions, Israel launched airstrikes, targeting multiple areas.

Purpose of the operation

Agent Gabriel said the operation was not intended to simply eliminate Hezbollah members, but to send them a strong warning. However, the airstrikes killed thousands of people, including the leader of the Shiite movement, Hassan Nasrallah.

The operation sparked widespread fear among the Lebanese population. According to "Michael," many were even afraid to turn on their air conditioners after the pagers were detonated.

As a reminder, the operation escalated tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, but the war ended with a ceasefire in November.