The Shadow Game: How Israel Penetrated the Heart of Hezbollah before Hassan Nasrallah’s Assassination

A report published by The New York Times has unveiled new details about the assassination of Hezbollah‘s former Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah. The newspaper described the event as the result of years of intense intelligence work and deep infiltrations within the party’s ranks, aimed at preparing for a full-scale confrontation anticipated by many.

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Major Infiltration

The newspaper, based on interviews with more than 24 former and current Israeli, American, and European officials, confirmed that Israeli intelligence services, particularly Unit 8200, had for decades recruited sources who planted listening devices in Hezbollah‘s hideouts, tracked its leaders’ movements, and even monitored one leader’s meetings with four mistresses.

According to the report, Israel achieved significant breakthroughs in infiltrating Hezbollah, including a 2012 operation where Unit 8200 captured a vast amount of information about the party’s leaders’ hideouts and missile arsenal.

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Achievements also included placing tracking devices on Fajr missiles during the 2006 war, enabling the Israeli Air Force to destroy them. However, despite these successes, some operations faced setbacks, such as a 2023 incident where a Hezbollah technician grew suspicious of the batteries used in communication devices. Israel was forced to detonate them to destroy thousands of the party’s assets, expediting the decision to assassinate Nasrallah to prevent the entire operation from being exposed.

The Assassination of Nasrallah

The newspaper noted that prior to his assassination, Nasrallah had refused his advisors’ suggestions to leave his secret location for a safer place, believing Israel would not risk igniting a full-scale war. However, Israeli intelligence had been closely monitoring his movements for years, paving the way for a successful operation.

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The report emphasized that Nasrallah’s assassination dealt a significant blow to Hezbollah and Iran, which supports the group as part of its regional strategy. The operation weakened the resistance axis led by Tehran and triggered significant changes in the Middle East’s dynamics, including impacts on the Syrian regime.

The Mossad also expanded its network in Lebanon, relying on human sources to help identify Hezbollah’s secret facilities after the 2006 war.

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Officials stated that this network provided precise information about the party’s hideouts. Israel shared this intelligence with the United States and its European allies to enhance cooperation.

By the end of the 2006 war, Israel had dossiers targeting approximately 200 Hezbollah figures and locations. By September 2024, this number had multiplied to tens of thousands, reflecting the progress made by Israeli intelligence in targeting the party.

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