The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) said on Tuesday that it foiled a plot by Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah to assassinate a former senior defense official.
The Shin Bet did not name the official. It said in a statement that it had seized an explosive device attached to a remote detonation system, using a mobile phone and a camera, that Hezbollah had planned to operate in the coming days from Lebanon.
The targeted individual was informed by security forces and briefed according to the developments. According to the Shin Bet, the infrastructure behind the plot is the same one responsible for last September’s failed attack at Hayarkon Park in Tel Aviv. The device that was discovered bears similarities to the bomb used in last year’s attempt, which intended to target a senior Israeli official. The explosive was equipped with a remote activation mechanism based on a camera and cellular system, meant to be triggered from Lebanon by Hezbollah operatives.
The Israeli security establishment believes that Hezbollah was also behind the attack in September 2023. “It should be emphasized that this infrastructure has been under surveillance for some time,” the Shin Bet said.
This is the third Hezbollah explosive device discovered in Israeli territory in the last two years. In March 2023, an explosive detonated at the Megiddo Junction, severely injuring 21-year-old Shareef ad-Din from Salem. Details later emerged about how the terrorist managed to infiltrate Israel: he used a ladder to bypass the fence and then traveled dozens of kilometers into Israel without being detected.
Hezbollah bombs found in Israeli territory
After the bomb went off, the terrorist was apprehended in the Western Galilee, likely on his way back to Lebanon, carrying a significant amount of ammunition. The driver who transported him was also arrested but later released when it became clear that he was unaware his passenger was an armed terrorist.
Reuters contributed to this report.