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For the first time since the outbreak of war in the October 7 massacre , Mossad head David Barnea spoke publicly on Tuesday and provided new details about the exploding pagers operation targeting Hezbollah terrorists.
At the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) conference, Barnea called the exploding pager operation against Hezbollah, "a clear example of the realization of our mission." He pointed out that the Mossad's emblem is inscribed with this verse from Proverbs, which states that: "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety." In light of this verse, Barnea explained, "the Mossad is realizing its mission for the security of the state and its citizens. The pager operation was creatively planned by Mossad employees, using ingenuity and cunning."
"It expresses intelligence penetration and a deep understanding of the adversary, technological superiority and first-rate operational capabilities," the Mossad chief added. The operation, he noted, symbolizes the "turning point" in the war in the north, and "the starting point for the 10 days during which the tide turned against our enemies. A clear line can be drawn in the war in the north from the exploding pagers to the elimination of Nasrallah to the cease-fire agreement."
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Mossad head David Barnea speaks at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) conference
(Photo: Dana Koppel)
According to Barnea, "Operation Pagers is a young operation, compared to Operation Walkie-Talkie, which was launched the next day. Operation Walkie-Talkie was developed about a decade ago, back during Tamir Pardo's time (2011-2016), and continued during Yossi Cohen's time (2016-2021). The idea for Operation Pagers first came up when we realized that Operation Walkie-Talkie was not effective in all combat situations. Therefore, we thought of another way to harm Hezbollah terrorists - by detonating a device that was always attached to their bodies."
"The first infrastructure for the operation was established in late 2022, and the first shipment to Lebanon, containing only 500 pagers, arrived just weeks before the terrible massacre of October 7," he said. "At that time, thousands of radios from the long-standing operation were mostly stored in Hezbollah warehouses. Launching the two operations at the beginning of the war would not have resulted in the powerful battlefield achievement that we achieved at the time of its launch."
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A pager explodes in a supermarket in southern Lebanon
He noted that, by the time the operation was ultimately launched, "10 times more beepers were detonated than we had at the beginning of the war and twice as many radios." According to him, "the dilemma in launching the operation on September 17, 2024, was great, very great. In the discussion of approving the operation, two schools of thought were presented, both of which were correct at the time they were presented. The prime minister ultimately made the decision in complete opposition to the prevailing position in the discussion, and here we are receiving the award."
He emphasized that "the day when thousands of beepers exploded in the hands of Hezbollah terrorists will be remembered as the turning point in the war. It is the day when the power of the ruse exceeded the power of kinetics. The amount of explosives in all the thousands of devices combined did not exceed the amount of explosives found in one standard mine. But the impact on morale was powerful."
Barnea added that the severe blow suffered by the Shiite terrorist organization in Lebanon "broke its spirit. Victory in war is not measured by the number of dead or the number of missiles destroyed, but by victory over the spirit, morale and motivation of the enemy."
He said that Hezbollah is "Iran's execution arm on our northern border," and that "the Mossad has been preparing for the third Lebanon War since 2006."
"We have collected intimate and unique intelligence over many years, and we have strengthened cooperation with the Military Intelligence Service in a wide variety of operational and intelligence activities," Barnea said. "We initiated and planned operations and special capabilities in enemy territory and, most importantly, we understood that the next war will be different from the previous wars we have known."
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He praised the work of Mossad personnel. "The Mossad does not have tanks or armored personnel carriers, we do not have fighter jets or missiles - the men and women of the Mossad are the engine of its work and its successes," he said. "They are the creative minds that make the impossible possible. They are the fighters, the special operations forces, the technology, intelligence and cyber personnel who create superiority on the battlefield. They are the ones who devise the strategy. Thanks to them, the Mossad faces many threats and challenges every day, and is able to do so."
As part of his speech, Barnea emphasized that "above all our commitment is to return home all the hostages, living and dead." According to him, "it is the supreme moral imperative to return our brothers and sisters from the infernal tunnels."
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A Hezbollah operative injured in the exploding pager operation
(Photo: Mohamed Azakir/ Reuters )
Barnea referred to the return of the hostages as part of the cease-fire deal, for which he led the negotiations on Phase I, and added that the moments of reunion with their loved ones "express the fulfillment of the greatest Jewish and moral duty - of redeeming captives. There is no more sublime feeling, not even during the implementation of a high-impact operation, that would be comparable to the sense of value and mission of returning the hostages. This sacred mission has been before my eyes since October 7. We will continue to act until everyone returns home."
The pager operation was launched on September 17, 2024, amid fears that it would soon be discovered. On the first day of the operation, the pagers of Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon and Syria exploded - and the next day, on September 18, their walkie-talkies also exploded. The explosions of the pagers and walkie-talkies killed about 30 people and injured about 3,000.