Retired Mossad Agents to Reveal Secrets of Hezbollah Pager Operation in US Interview

Friday, 20 December 2024 | American outlet CBS announced on Thursday that a special episode of the investigative program "60 Minutes" will air in the United States on Sunday, revealing behind-the-scenes secrets of the pager operation that launched Israel's intensified campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon. While Israel has yet to officially claim responsibility for the operation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has referred to it in the past.

According to the network, recently retired Mossad [Israeli intelligence] agents were interviewed for the program, speaking under condition of anonymity about how the covert operation was carried out and the decade-long preparations leading up to it. Instagram posts showed the agents and interviewer Lesley Stahl, who was reportedly holding one of the beepers allegedly prepared by Mossad. 

The investigation is scheduled to air Sunday at 7:30 p.m. local [Eastern Time Zone] time (2:30 a.m. Israel time, early Monday morning). Axios quoted one agent as saying they tested the devices "multiple times in order to make sure there is minimum damage. If we push the button the only one that will get injured is the terrorist himself. Even if his wife or his daughter will be just next to him, he's the only one that going to be harmed."

The pager operation was launched on September 17, following concerns that its execution was at risk of being uncovered. On the first day, Hezbollah operatives' pagers exploded in Lebanon and Syria. The following day, September 18, their walkie-talkies also exploded.

Hezbollah has not disclosed the exact number of casualties resulting from the incident. However, at least 59 individuals were reportedly killed in Lebanon and Syria, with approximately 4,500 injured, hundreds of them critically. Among the injured was Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani.