Israeli intelligence agency Mossad used an elaborate covert operation involving explosive-laden pagers to carry out a massive strike on Hezbollah, killing dozens and injuring thousands of the group’s operatives, according to The Washington Post. The operation, which took place in September, targeted the militant group’s communication network across Lebanon and Syria, dealing a significant blow to its leadership and operations.
The attack was the result of years of planning, starting in 2015 when Mossad began inserting modified walkie-talkies in Lebanon. Initially, these devices were used solely for surveillance.
In 2023, however, Mossad shifted its approach by posing as the Taiwanese company Gold Apollo and offering Hezbollah a seemingly secure communication device: the Apollo AR-924 pager. These pagers were touted as hack-proof and built to withstand harsh battlefield conditions.
Hezbollah purchased 5,000 of the Apollo pagers and distributed them to its fighters across Lebanon and Syria, unaware that the devices contained hidden bombs.
Mossad engineers implanted the bombs so discreetly that they were virtually undetectable, even with X-ray scanners. The pagers also required a two-step decryption process to read encrypted messages, forcing users to handle the devices with both hands.
In September, Mossad remotely triggered the explosives, causing thousands of pagers to detonate simultaneously. The explosions injured as many as 3,000 Hezbollah operatives and significantly weakened the group’s command structure.
In the aftermath of the initial strike, Mossad followed up 24 hours later with a second attack, this time targeting Hezbollah operatives using the walkie-talkies from the 2015 operation.
Israeli forces then launched airstrikes that culminated in the death of Hezbollah’s leader, Hasan Nasrallah, further crippling the group’s leadership.
The United States was reportedly not informed of the operation in advance. With tensions between Hezbollah, Iran and Israel already high, the long-term consequences of this unprecedented strike remain unclear.
