Israel's intelligence operations: How did Israel penetrate deep security layers within Hezbollah?

Report by Wissam Nasrallah, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

The Israeli army assassinated several top Hezbollah figures, including the entire leadership of the Radwan Force and three members of Hezbollah's Shura Council, among them Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. 

How did Israeli intelligence reach Hezbollah's top leaders?

Recruiting spies has been the oldest method for penetrating military intelligence. 

Yet, Hezbollah has maintained a secretive operational profile for decades, mainly through its Preventive Security Unit, which acts as a shield for Hezbollah's military and security information.

This unit investigates any infiltration attempts, both human and technological. Yet even the head of this unit, Sheikh Nabil Qaouk, fell victim to an Israeli assassination within his own residence.

While a human breach can occur, the nature of these assassinations necessitates highly detailed information that a mere informant might not provide.

For example, targeting Nasrallah would demand pinpoint data on the meeting time, location, the depth of his secure facility, reinforced concrete structures protecting it, and blueprints of emergency exits.
 
Following the July 2006 war, Israel reportedly intensified its efforts to intercept Hezbollah communications, particularly after struggling to gain strategic insights into the group's command.

Israel's Unit 8200, a renowned signals intelligence agency, has since developed sophisticated electronic tools to intercept mobile and other communications associated with Hezbollah. 

However, with Hezbollah's awareness of these tactics, sensitive information is seldom shared over traceable devices, leading to the practice of not using these technologies for conveying sensitive information.

The implications of Israel's high-tech infiltration run deep. Just as explosive-laden pagers once breached Hezbollah's ranks, today, new tools may be extending Israel's reach further. 

For instance, Toka, an Israeli cyber security firm founded in 2018 by former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, has developed tools to infiltrate virtually any device that connects to the Internet. Known for targeting the Internet of Things (IoT), Toka's technology allows clients to access cameras, smart home devices, and household appliances.

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Toka enables clients to hack cameras and alter their feeds, reminiscent of scenarios depicted in Hollywood films.
  
In summary, Israel has invested years into technology and cyber security firms worldwide at all levels, making it increasingly difficult to pinpoint the exact source of such intelligence breaches—breaches that can originate from even the most unsuspected channels.