Israel Eliminated Hezbollah Operative Suspecting Pagers, Foiled Iranian Tech Smuggling

New details revealed in Israel show how the country acted to prevent Hezbollah from discovering its operation involving pagers before it was launched. An operative who suspected the devices and began investigating them was eliminated, and later, X-ray machines smuggled from Iran intended to examine the pagers were also destroyed. These details were disclosed by Amit Segal on Channel 12 News.

According to former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who spoke about the events a year and a half ago in an interview with Segal and Yonit Levi, the threat to the operation emerged in early August when Israel learned a Hezbollah operative had become suspicious of the pagers. Gallant stated, "We eliminated him, along with someone else, under various pretexts." Israel concealed the fact that the suspicious operative was the target, instead presenting another individual present with him as the strike's objective.

The danger of exposure persisted. Following the elimination, Israel discovered that inspection devices meant to test the pagers, including X-ray machines originating from Iran, were en route to Lebanon. Gallant explained, "We eliminate them along with other things." Again, Israel disguised the true purpose of the strike, destroying the X-ray machines alongside other targets without revealing they were the primary objective.

These revelations shed light on the extensive measures taken to prevent the operation's exposure prior to the pager explosions in September 2024. Israel targeted both the individual investigating the devices and the subsequent inspection equipment sent from Iran. It was also revealed that the pagers bore the brand "M.Tech," which was later understood to stand for "Mossad Technological."