In a highly anticipated episode of CBS’s 60 Minutes, recently retired Mossad agents provide unprecedented insights into a decade-long covert operation targeting Hezbollah. The agents, whose identities remain concealed with masks and altered voices, share with journalist Lesley Stahl the intricate details of their mission to sabotage Hezbollah’s communications network.

Central to the operation was the detonation of thousands of Hezbollah’s communication devices, including pagers and walkie-talkies, in September 2024. The devices exploded simultaneously in Hezbollah strongholds such as the southern suburbs of Beirut, causing significant disruption and loss of life among the group’s leadership.

The agents explained how the devices were carefully engineered to target only the intended individuals.

“If we push the button, the only one that will get injured is the terrorist himself,” one operative revealed. “Even if his wife or daughter is next to him, he’s the only one that will be harmed.”

The Mossad team tested the devices repeatedly to ensure precision, minimizing collateral damage while maximizing the operation’s effectiveness.

The operation relied on intercepting Hezbollah’s devices during transit to Lebanon. In some cases, the agents claimed that Mossad used shell companies to manufacture the devices, rigging them with PETN explosives before distribution. The intricate planning took years of undercover work, with agents devising fail-safe methods to ensure the devices reached their targets undetected.

The operation delivered a crippling blow to Hezbollah. The coordinated explosions led to the death of key figures, including Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, in subsequent targeted attacks. The agents disclosed how the mission sowed chaos among Hezbollah’s ranks, forcing the group to abandon its communication methods and weakening its command structure.

One agent described the operation as a turning point: “This was about more than just taking out individuals—it was about destabilizing an entire network.”

The agents’ revelations also highlight the human cost of their work. Despite the precision of the attacks, the broader escalation between Israel and Hezbollah displaced thousands of civilians on both sides of the conflict.

For the first time, Israel officially acknowledged its involvement in the operation when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed it in November.

The 60 Minutes interview offers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of Mossad, detailing the ingenuity and precision required for such a high-stakes mission. It airs this Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on CBS and Paramount+.

Israel’s Mossad learned Hezbollah was buying pagers from a company in Taiwan, and in 2022 started its pager plot. Sunday, a retired Mossad agent, key to the operation, explains how they made pagers explode. pic.twitter.com/MwbgQXg5nM

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) December 20, 2024