Hezbollah Chief Admits Underestimating Israeli Infiltration in Deadly Pager Attacks Across Lebanon

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has publicly acknowledged that the group severely underestimated Israel's intelligence and surveillance capabilities, particularly highlighted by the September 2024 booby-trapped pager attacks that injured thousands and killed dozens of operatives. He admitted that Hezbollah was unaware of the full breach in its supply chain and communication systems, which allowed Israel’s Mossad to infiltrate and rig communication devices with explosives undetectable by their standard security measures. An internal investigation revealed significant flaws in Hezbollah’s procurement and security protocols, with some members suspecting anomalies in the pagers before the attack, possibly prompting Israel to accelerate the detonation timeline. Qassem emphasized that while they were aware of some wiretapping, they did not grasp the near-total extent of Israeli surveillance, which reportedly involved aerial data collection for 17 years since the end of the Second Lebanon War. Despite the extensive breach, he denied evidence of deep human infiltration by Israeli spies within Hezbollah’s senior ranks. He vowed that Hezbollah is rebuilding and prepared to respond if Israel attacks, rejecting calls for disarmament and withdrawal from southern Lebanon.