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At least 32 people were killed and more than 3,250 injured as walkie-talkies and pagers used by Hezbollah members blew up across Lebanon in the last two days. Walkie-talkies used by Iran-backed Hezbollah members blew up in its Beirut stronghold on Wednesday, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 450 others. The explosions came a day after thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon, killing 12 people, including two children, and injuring about 2,800.
The mass pager and walkie-talkie attack against Hezbollah in Lebanon has now drawn attention to Unit 8200, the Israel Defense Forces’ intelligence arm, allegedly involved in planning the operation.
According to a Western security source, Unit 8200 played a role in the development stage of the operation, which was over a year in the making. The source revealed that the unit was responsible for testing how to insert explosive material within the manufacturing process.
Unit 8200: Israel’s Elite Intelligence Unit
Unit 8200 is a highly specialised military group that develops and operates intelligence-gathering tools, comparable to the US National Security Agency. The unit’s activities range from cyber defence to “technological attacks and strikes.”
Unit 8200 develops and operates advanced surveillance tools and cyber defence systems and is credited with high-profile operations. It played a key role in the Stuxnet virus attack from 2005 to 2010, which damaged Iranian nuclear centrifuges. In 2017, it was allegedly behind a cyberattack on Lebanon’s state telecom company, Ogero, disrupting communications. The unit also contributed to thwarting an ISIS plot in 2018, helping to prevent a planned attack on a civilian airliner travelling from Australia to the UAE.
Former military intelligence official Yossi Kuperwasser praised Unit 8200’s expertise, saying its members are “the best and brightest personnel in the Israeli military,” as per Reuters.
Unit 8200 is also a crucial feeder into Israel’s booming tech industry, with many of its alumni going on to found successful cybersecurity and tech companies.
Avi Shua, a graduate of Unit 8200 iand co-founder of the unicorn Orca Security, praised the group’s work culture, which promotes innovative problem-solving and independent thinking.
However, the unit has recently come under scrutiny for its inability to predict Hamas’ attack on southern Israel in October. This failure led to the resignation of its commander, who admitted he had not fulfilled his mission.
Despite the recent Hezbollah bomb allegations, Israeli military officials have remained silent. Neither the IDF nor the Prime Minister’s office, which oversees Mossad, has confirmed the involvement of Unit 8200.
