On September 17, after nearly a year of escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel’s spy agency Mossad executed one of the most intricate and impactful operations in counterintelligence: the "pager plot." This operation targeted Hezbollah group, resulting in thousands of injuries among its operatives and leaving a lasting geopolitical ripple effect. In an exclusive interview with CBS News’ 60 Minutes, two recently retired Mossad agents, identified only as Michael and Gabriel, shared insights into this operation.

A Decade in the Making

The operation began over a decade ago with the creation of weaponized walkie-talkies.

"A walkie-talkie was a weapon just like a bullet or a missile," said Michael, a retired Mossad case officer who spearheaded the mission.

Hidden within the devices’ batteries were undetectable explosive charges. Over the years, Hezbollah unknowingly acquired thousands of these devices through a network of shell companies orchestrated by Mossad.

Over 16,000 such devices were sold to Hezbollah through a network of untraceable shell companies and intermediaries. These devices remained dormant for a decade until their activation, timed to coincide with the newer phase of the operation.

The Birth of the Pager Bomb

However, walkie-talkies were typically used only in combat, prompting Mossad to innovate further. In 2022, the agency shifted its focus to pagers—a device still in use by Hezbollah for its simplicity and resistance to tracking. Gabriel, another retired Mossad agent, described the meticulous process of modifying these pagers to conceal explosive materials while maintaining functionality.

“A pager is almost obsolete around the world, but Hezbollah was still using it,” Gabriel explained. The team modified the device to include explosives while maintaining its appearance. Extensive testing ensured that the device would harm only the carrier, leaving those nearby unharmed.

“We test everything triple, double, multiple times to ensure minimum damage,” Gabriel emphasized.

The Trojan Horse Strategy

Using a series of shell companies, Mossad infiltrated the supply chain of Gold Apollo, a Taiwanese pager manufacturer, without raising suspicion. The devices were marketed as robust, waterproof, and featuring long battery life—qualities that appealed to Hezbollah. Mossad even hired the company’s saleswoman, familiar to Hezbollah, to offer the devices as an upgrade.

"We have an incredible array of possibilities of creating foreign companies that have no way being traced back to Israel. Shell companies over shell companies to affect the supply chain to our favor. We create a pretend world. We are a global production company. We write the screenplay, we're the directors, we're the producers, we're the main actors, and the world is our stage," Michael explained.

By September 2024, Hezbollah operatives had unknowingly integrated over 5,000 of these explosive pagers into their daily routines. 

Mossad cleverly marketed the upgraded pager through fake advertisements, touting features like being robust, dustproof, waterproof, and having long battery life.

“We made advertising movies and brochures, and we put it on the internet,” Gabriel said. The deceptive marketing campaign made the pager highly desirable within Hezbollah.

The Moment of Activation

On September 17, at 3:30 p.m., the pagers were activated. Operatives received messages stating, “You have an encrypted message. Push two buttons to access it.” Upon doing so, the devices exploded.

Gabriel explained, “If someone didn’t push the buttons, it’s the same effect. It’s going to explode anyway.”

The coordinated detonation caused chaos across Lebanon. Hospitals were overwhelmed with thousands of injured operatives, many suffering severe injuries such as lost limbs and blindness.

“The aim wasn’t killing Hezbollah terrorists,” Gabriel clarified. “If he’s just dead, so he’s dead. But if he’s wounded, you have to take him to the hospital, take care of him, invest money and efforts. They become walking proof of ‘don’t mess with us.’”

Psychological Warfare and Beyond

The operation’s psychological impact was immense. “The day after the pagers exploded, people were afraid to turn on air conditioners in Lebanon because they thought they might explode,” Michael revealed. This fear underscored Mossad’s goal of instilling a sense of vulnerability in Hezbollah and its supporters.

Following the pager explosions, Mossad activated the dormant walkie-talkies, some of which detonated at the funerals of those killed by the pagers. The combined attacks severely disrupted Hezbollah’s chain of command and morale.

“After the beeper operation and the walkie-talkie attacks, Hezbollah was in a very difficult situation,” Gabriel said. “No chain of command, no spirit in their soldiers, begging for a ceasefire.”

"The day after the pagers exploded, people were afraid to turn on air conditioners, fearing they might also blow up," Michael noted, emphasizing the sense of vulnerability the operation instilled.

Strategic Repercussions

The operation had far-reaching effects, destabilizing Hezbollah’s chain of command and morale. Even the slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah appeared subdued in a speech shortly after the attack.

"He was defeated. His soldiers saw a broken leader," Gabriel recounted.

The operation also contributed to broader regional shifts, including the weakening of Hezbollah’s allies, such as the Assad regime in Syria and Iran’s proxy networks.

"The wind was taken out of Hezbollah's fight," Michael explained, expressing hope that the operation’s success would influence other adversaries like Hamas.

Moral and Tactical Implications

While the operation showcased Mossad’s ingenuity, it also raised ethical questions. Gabriel acknowledged the trade-off: "First, you have to defend your people from being killed by the thousands. And then the reputation."

As Michael concluded, "We’ve already moved on to the next thing. And they’ll have to keep on trying to guess what the next thing is."

Two recently retired agents from the Israeli spy agency Mossad tell 60 Minutes how the agency ran the pager plot – when thousands of pagers held by Hezbollah members exploded almost simultaneously across Lebanon in September. Tonight. pic.twitter.com/NqR5UHReiZ

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) December 22, 2024

Retired Mossad agents say the walkie-talking bomb operation was a decade in the making. Israel waited 10 years to detonate the devices. https://t.co/Lm8F7zLBG3

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) December 23, 2024

Israel sold more than 16,000 walkie-talkies to Hezbollah — each containing a hidden bomb inside the battery, which was later used against them. https://t.co/Lm8F7zLBG3 pic.twitter.com/IHy19ox8on

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) December 23, 2024

“We create a pretend world. We are a global production company: We write the screenplay, we're the directors, we're the producers, we're the main actors. And the world is our stage,” says a retired Mossad agent who was among those who led the pager op. https://t.co/OPYLTLVQ8v pic.twitter.com/Vj49IsWgKx

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) December 23, 2024

“It’s ugly, but it has character.”

A former agent says he convinced the head of Mossad that he could sell big, bulky pagers — which were necessary for secretly holding explosives later used against their buyers: Hezbollah. https://t.co/ug2GHZCruQ pic.twitter.com/0dkcoVmqWI

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) December 23, 2024