Israel's plan for assassinating Hezbollah's Nasrallah: How was intelligence information disclosed to Israel?

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

On October 11, just three days after Lebanon entered the broader Al-Aqsa Flood war, Israel's Military Intelligence Chief Aharon Haliva, before stepping down, designated Hezbollah's Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as a central target on the army's hit list in Lebanon. 

From that point, Israel's intelligence agencies ramped up their efforts. 

Hundreds of personnel from Mossad, Shin Bet, Military Intelligence, the Northern Command, and the Air Force embarked on a mission to gather extensive information on Hezbollah and Nasrallah. They utilized advanced technology, intelligence-gathering flights on civilian, military, and reconnaissance aircraft, and various covert methods, including recruiting spies.

The plan to assassinate Nasrallah became one of the most intricate operations undertaken by Israeli intelligence. 

While Israel has not disclosed specific details of the operation, Western media reported that an Iranian spy, recruited by Israeli intelligence, successfully infiltrated Hezbollah's inner circle, providing Israel with precise information about Nasrallah's movements.

In Tel Aviv, by Wednesday—two days before the assassination—both political and intelligence conditions aligned. The Israeli political leadership approved a recommendation from Military Intelligence, granting the green light to carry out the operation at the opportune moment.

According to intelligence reports, Nasrallah arrived at a high-level meeting in Lebanon in the exact vehicle as the commander of Iran's Quds Force for Iran and Syria. The moment Nasrallah and his leadership entered the meeting location, Israel received the crucial intelligence and launched the strike. 

The assassination, regarded by Israeli officials as the start of a strategic blow to Iran's regional axis, was hailed by former Military Intelligence chief Amos Malka, who remarked: "They wanted us to remember October 7 as an unforgettable day. Instead, we engraved September 27 in their memory as a monumental day for Israel, marking the start of a new Middle East."