Spies Hit Hezbollah with Exploding Pagers, But Could Israel Have Won Earlier?

A ceasefire on Israel's Lebanese front remains fragile, as the Israelis refuse to withdraw completely, charging violations by the Iran-backed Hezbollah. Dan and Yossi discuss a new claim that Israel could have defeated Hezbollah much earlier. Yoav Gallant, defense minister at the time, says just after the Hamas invasion from Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, he proposed invading Lebanon for a quick victory by detonating the electronic gear (pagers and walkie-talkies) the Mossad had remarkably sold to Hezbollah -- killing "15,000 terrorists all at once." Then, Gallant claims, the IDF could turn more strongly to smash Hamas in Gaza. But Prime Minister Netanyahu turned him down. 

We consider the plot -- and we interview a veteran Israeli intelligence researcher, Dror Doron, on whether it could have worked. Also, Doron comments on whether Lebanon might be on the road to stability and peace. Spoiler alert: It seems the answer is, woefully, no. 

Yossi Melman also fills-in details of how the Mossad manufactured exploding equipment and sold them through "front companies" to Hezbollah.

Please find us on X at @Yossi_Melman and @danraviv. Also on BlueSky and Facebook.

Our most recent book about the Mossad and Israel's other security agencies is "Spies Against Armageddon: Inside Israel's Secret Wars" -- You may purchase it at http://bit.ly/41j1Sc3 in Kindle or paperback (and on all e-book platforms).

Our music for THE MOSSAD FILES podcast is Clock is Ticking, by Braden Deal, from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/braden-deal/clock-is-ticking -- License code: YY2MEPOUFX6P7MIH.