By Nohad Topalian | 2024-10-24

BEIRUT -- The killing of Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah, his likely successor Hashem Safieddine, and numerous other top-tier party leaders has revealed the extent of Israel's intelligence infiltration of Hizbullah, analysts said.

Nasrallah was killed September 27 at his headquarters in Beirut's southern suburb, one week after Israel's deadly detonation of hundreds of booby-trapped pagers and two-way radios (walkie-talkies).

Safieddine, whose death Israel announced October 22, was killed days later, along with other Hizbullah leaders, in an airstrike in southern Beirut.

Nasrallah had avoided public appearances since the July 2006 war. His movements were restricted, yet informants infiltrated his small inner circle, a source familiar with his security arrangements told Reuters.

Successful infiltration

The killing of top-tier Hizbullah leaders shows Israel has succeeded in infiltrating the party, military expert Brig. Gen. Yaarub Saqr told Al-Fassel.

Israel has been collecting intelligence "for a long time," he said, which helped it "prepare the ground" for targeting the party’s leaders.

Israel also was able to penetrate the leadership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as evidenced by its killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and eight nuclear scientists, among other operations, he said.

Its most significant achievement was "striking the nerve center of Hizbullah's communications operations," he said, leaving party members unable to communicate with commanders, decision-makers and field operatives.

"Hizbullah was dealt a very strong blow to its leadership, organizational, human and armament structure, owing to Israel’s possession of an information database," he said.

Trove of intelligence

This trove of intelligence enabled Israel "to discover and strike missile sites, ammunition depots and logistical supply lines in all areas where Hizbullah is active," Saqr said.

All the strikes on Hizbullah leaders "were planned by Israel a long time ago, and it is currently implementing a security and intelligence plan whose details have been fully prepared," political analyst Asaad Bishara told Al-Fassel.

"What Israel has achieved in terms of building a bank of security targets to date is the result of intelligence efforts and a major security infiltration of Hizbullah, and technological superiority," he said.

This points to a large "technological gap" between Hizbullah and Israel, he said, and also to a difference in military capabilities, despite Iran's arming of Hizbullah and its years-long preparation for a new round of conflict.

Bishara noted that no one "knows the extent of Israel’s infiltration of Hizbullah or the number of collaborators in its ranks except for Israel."