The Secrets Behind Hezbollah's Beeper Explosion
In a gripping interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes, two retired Mossad agents, "Michael" and "Gabriel", revealed details of a decade-long covert operation targeting Hezbollah.
Their identities were concealed with dark glasses, hoods, and altered voices and their real names remained undisclosed.
The operation began 10 years ago when Mossad developed walkie-talkies with hidden explosive devices in their batteries. Through a shell company untraceable to Israel, they sold over 16,000 walkie-talkies to Hezbollah. The devices remained dormant for years, awaiting activation.
The walkie-talkies were primarily being used in battle situations, but Mossad wanted a smaller device Hezbollah members would carry at all times. They focused on pagers, which Hezbollah had been buying from a Taiwanese company called Gold Apollo Company, LTD.
To embed explosive devices in the pagers, Mossad had to design a larger, bulkier version. The challenge was convincing Hezbollah that this new, bulkier pager was an upgrade. Mossad created marketing materials highlighting features like waterproofing, durability, and longer-lasting batteries to make the device seem superior.
To strengthen the deception, Mossad partnered with Gold Apollo, Hezbollah’s trusted supplier, and even established a fake storefront in Hungary. Even the saleswoman Hezbollah was accustomed to working with was recruited, offering the first batch of 5,000 pagers as a free upgrade. Gold Apollo had no idea Mossad was behind the operation.
On September 17, 2023, at 3:30 PM, the pagers simultaneously beeped across Lebanon and then exploded. Hezbollah was caught completely off guard as hospitals filled with injured members—some missing fingers or limbs, others blinded, and some with severe internal injuries. Mossad mostly achieved its goal of targeting terrorists while leaving bystanders unharmed.
The next day, Mossad activated the dormant walkie-talkies, some exploding during funerals for the pager victims.
The ripple effects were significant. IDF strikes targeted Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and Syria’s Assad regime collapsed thereafter.
Reflecting on the mission, Michael stated, "We’ve already moved on to the next thing, and they’ll have to guess what it is."
Click here to watch the full interview.
