Mossad Targeted Hezbollah’s Communication Network in Covert Operation, WP Reports

The Israeli intelligence agency Mossad has been planning an operation to disable Hezbollah's communications network for more than two years, according to a report by The Washington Post, which cites American, Israeli, and Middle Eastern sources. The operation, which targeted thousands of pagers used by the Lebanese militant group, is described as one of the most sophisticated Mossad undertakings in recent years.

The Washington Post reported that Mossad's strategy shifted from targeting walkie-talkies to planting explosives in pagers used by Hezbollah members. The use of pagers had been seen as a way for Hezbollah to avoid Israeli surveillance, but this reliance made them an ideal target for a covert operation.

The origins of the plan date back to 2022, when Mossad identified an opportunity to disrupt Hezbollah's communications using devices manufactured by the Taiwanese company Apollo. The pagers, however, were produced under license in Israel, unbeknownst to Apollo, and Mossad reportedly used this window to embed powerful explosives within the devices, WP reported.

The report highlights that on September 17, Mossad triggered the coordinated detonation of these pagers, killing over 30 Hezbollah members and injuring more than 2,000 others. Within half an hour, the devices exploded across Lebanon, causing chaos and confusion. The next day, further explosions occurred in laptops, walkie-talkies, and other electronic devices used by the group, suggesting a widespread sabotage campaign.

Hezbollah’s use of these pagers had been intended to shield the group from surveillance vulnerabilities associated with mobile phones. However, Mossad reportedly capitalized on this dependency by implanting a command-triggered explosive system into the devices. According to WP, an encrypted message was sent to all the compromised pagers on the day of the attack, prompting users to press two buttons simultaneously—a move that would set off the devices and injure both hands of the militants.

Analysts have described the incident as a severe breach of Hezbollah’s security. Hezbollah leaders have been forced to rethink their communications strategy following the attack, which they perceive as a major intelligence failure.

The WP investigation revealed that the Mossad operation exploited the complex supply chain of the devices. Hezbollah ordered the pagers through BAC Consulting, a Hungarian company that functioned as a shell intermediary under a licensing agreement with Gold Apollo, the Taiwanese manufacturer. BAC Consulting, which reportedly has no physical production facilities, served primarily as a cover, distancing the actual producer from the final user.

Further complicating the supply chain, the report indicates that the pagers were idle at the port for several months, waiting for customs clearance before being delivered to Hezbollah. Mossad allegedly used this period to access the devices and insert explosives around their lithium-ion batteries. It is believed that military-grade explosives, such as pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), were used to enhance the blast’s impact.

BAC Consulting operated out of a residential area with minimal presence, while the actual import and distribution were managed by another intermediary, the Sofia-based Norta Global, according to the report. This web of intermediaries helped conceal the operation's origins, making it challenging for Hezbollah to trace the source of the pagers.

The unprecedented attack has heightened tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, with both sides on high alert. Following the explosion of the pagers, Israel deployed an IDF division to its northern border as Hezbollah launched retaliatory attacks targeting Israeli positions. The escalation has renewed fears of a wider conflict between the two adversaries.

While Mossad has not officially commented on the incident, the attack is likely to have long-term implications for Hezbollah’s operational security and its ability to trust third-party suppliers. The group's leadership had previously warned members against using mobile phones due to their vulnerability to Israeli interception, which led to the switch to pagers.

The incident underscores Mossad’s capabilities in cyber warfare and intelligence operations, setting a precedent for future covert actions. As investigations continue, the full extent of the sabotage operation remains to be seen, but the episode is already being viewed as a turning point in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.