For the first time, new information about the “Exploding Beepers” operation targeting Hezbollah has been disclosed by former Mossad operatives.
The operatives who orchestrated this daring mission shared details with CBS’s “60 Minutes,” revealing aspects of the covert planning and strategy that led to the operation’s execution. These insights shed light on the extensive groundwork laid years in advance.
The episode is scheduled to air Sunday night on CBS, corresponding to Israel time.
On September 17, thousands of pagers distributed by Hezbollah to its members detonated simultaneously. This occurred after nearly a year of relentless rocket and UAV attacks on northern Israel, which forced tens of thousands of Israelis to flee their homes. The synchronized explosions devastated Hezbollah’s communication infrastructure, injuring thousands of its members and killing dozens. The following day, a second wave of explosions targeted radios used by the group, compounding the damage to its operations.
These strikes left Hezbollah in disarray, paving the way for Operation Northern Arrows, a focused military offensive lasting two months. During this campaign, most of Hezbollah’s senior and mid-level leadership was eliminated, and the bulk of its rocket arsenal was destroyed. By late November, Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire with Israel, retracting its earlier condition that Israel halt its military actions in Gaza as a precondition to stopping its assaults on northern Israel.
{Matzav.com Israel}