Mossad's best operation ever? From walkie-talkies to beepers to the Hezbollah takedown – exclusive

On September 17, 2024, a Mossad operation caused thousands of pagers to explode across Lebanon, primarily targeting Hezbollah operatives. This initial attack killed or wounded approximately 3,500 Hezbollah members, with minimal civilian casualties. Former CIA Director General David Petraeus called it "the most impressive supply-chain operation in modern intelligence history." The following day, a similar wave of exploding walkie-talkies and other devices injured another 500 operatives. Prime Minister Netanyahu stated, "We had a surprise prepared. They didn't know what hit them."

• The operation's origins trace back nearly two decades, with early foundations laid by Yossi Cohen under then-Mossad chief Meir Dagan.
• By 2014, Mossad and IDF intelligence, led by Tamir Pardo and Herzi Halevi, developed a plan to embed explosive devices in walkie-talkies and later pagers, which Hezbollah used due to concerns about cell phone tracking.
• Israel informed the Biden administration of a "special capability" shortly before the attacks, but withheld specific details, leaving US officials to learn the full scope from news reports.
• The operation followed an August 25, 2024, escalation by Hezbollah, which prompted Netanyahu to seek a preemptive strategy to significantly reduce potential Israeli casualties in a broader conflict.