Tue Dec 24 02:29:31 UTC 2024: ## Mossad’s Secret Weapon: Exploding Pagers Kill Dozens of Hezbollah Fighters

**BEIRUT, LEBANON** – A clandestine Israeli operation involving weaponized pagers and walkie-talkies resulted in the deaths of at least 39 Hezbollah operatives and injuries to nearly 3,000 others in September, according to two recently retired senior Mossad agents who spoke to CBS News. The agents, who spoke under pseudonyms Michael and Gabriel, detailed a meticulously planned operation spanning over a decade.

The operation, authorized by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, involved the Mossad planting explosives within pagers and walkie-talkies ordered by Hezbollah. Over 16,000 devices were purchased by Hezbollah, with the explosives cleverly concealed within batteries manufactured at a Mossad facility. The agents emphasized the importance of a seemingly legitimate price point to avoid suspicion, and the creation of shell companies to obscure the Israeli origin of the devices.

Mossad leveraged a pre-existing relationship between Hezbollah and a Taiwanese company, Gold Apollo, to seamlessly integrate the booby-trapped devices into Hezbollah’s supply chain. A Gold Apollo salesperson, unknowingly working with Mossad, even offered an initial batch of pagers as a free upgrade. By September, approximately 5,000 Hezbollah members were carrying the explosive devices.

The design of the explosives was carefully calibrated to injure, rather than outright kill, Hezbollah fighters. The aim, according to the agents, was to incapacitate and drain resources from the organization rather than simply eliminating personnel. The resulting injuries, they asserted, serve as a potent deterrent.

The September blasts mark a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which intensified following the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel. The operation underscores the sophisticated intelligence gathering and covert capabilities of the Mossad in the ongoing regional conflict. While the agents claim this specific tactic won’t be repeated, they warn Hezbollah that further retaliatory measures are in the works.

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