Mossad Director David Barnea was honored by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) on Tuesday on behalf of the Mossad for their beeper operation targeting Hezbollah terrorists in September.
Following his acceptance of the award on behalf of the organization, Barnea spoke to the crowd.
Director of the Mossad, David Barnea, addressed the “Pagers Operation” at the INSS Annual Conference, during which the pagers of thousands of Hezbollah operatives exploded. He revealed: “The operation reflects intelligence penetration and a deep understanding of the enemy,… pic.twitter.com/tGF7JrqfCS
— INSS (@INSSIsrael) February 25, 2025
"The beeper operation is a clear example of the realization of our mission. It was planned by Mossad employees creatively, using sophistication and cunning."
"It showed intelligence, penetration, and a deep understanding of the adversary, technological superiority, and first-rate operational capabilities."
Barnea added that "the operation symbolizes the turning point in the war in the north and the starting point for the ten days during which the tide turned against our enemies. A clear line can be drawn in the war in the north - from the beepers to the elimination of Nasrallah to the ceasefire."
"Above all - our obligation is to return home all the hostages, living and dead. It is the supreme moral imperative to return our brothers and sisters from the infernal tunnels."
Defeating Hezbollah?
"Hezbollah suffered a very severe blow that broke the organization's morale. Victory in the war is not measured by the number of deaths or missiles but by victory over the morale and motivation of the enemy."
"We initiated and planned operations and deployed special capabilities in enemy territory. And most importantly, we understood that the next war would be different from the previous ones we knew."
"The Mossad does not have tanks, armored personnel carriers, fighter jets, or missiles. We have the men and women of the Mossad who are the engine of its actions and successes. They are the creative brains [of operations] and make the impossible possible."
"The first shipment containing only 500 beepers arrived in Lebanon a few weeks before the October 7 massacre."
"The beeper operation is young compared to the radio operation, which was launched in the previous decade with Tamir Pardo and Yossi Cohen. The idea for the beepers arose from the fact that the radio operation was ineffective in all combat. So we thought of another way to hit Hezbollah terrorists with a device that was always close to them."
"Activating both operations (the beepers and the radios) at the beginning of the war would not have led to the powerful achievement that we achieved at the time of its activation.
"At the time the beeper operation was activated, 10 times more beepers were detonated than we had at the beginning of the war, and twice as many radios were detonated."