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How Israel Assassinates People // Jake Tran
Jake Tran | Trusted Newsmaker
The Evolution of Mossad’s Assassination Tactics: From Rigged Phones to Remote Mass Casualties
For decades, Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, has been synonymous with high-profile, high-precision assassinations. While many of their operations read like pages from a spy thriller, recent accounts reveal an evolution in tactics — from targeted, one-on-one eliminations to large-scale, remotely executed strikes that blur the line between espionage and open warfare.
The Early Era: Surgical Kills
In the mid-1990s, Mossad targeted Yahya Ayyash, known as “The Engineer,” Hamas’ most lethal bomb-maker. Ayyash revolutionized militant explosives by creating deadly devices from everyday materials — detergent, sugar, acetone — avoiding the need for restricted military-grade components. By age 29, he was linked to over 150 deaths.
Unable to catch him through conventional means, Mossad infiltrated his inner circle by bribing a friend’s uncle. The breakthrough came in the form of a seemingly normal Motorola phone, retrofitted with 50 grams of RDX. In January 1996, as Ayyash answered a call from his father, the phone detonated, killing him instantly with such precision that the person beside him was unharmed.
AI-Driven Targeting
Decades later, Mossad’s methods took a leap into the technological future with the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the architect of Iran’s nuclear program. Protected by a dozen bodyguards and extensive state resources, Fakhrizadeh was unreachable by traditional means.
Mossad exploited his predictable Friday commute to his home in Apsard. In 2020, a truck disguised as a broken-down construction vehicle concealed a one-ton, AI-controlled, satellite-linked machine gun. From thousands of miles away, operators monitored the scene as the AI identified and fired on Fakhrizadeh’s vehicle. The operation was over in minutes, and the truck self-destructed, leaving no traceable evidence.
From Individuals to Mass Targets
By 2024, Mossad’s ambitions extended beyond single targets. Investigations revealed the agency had created a front company, BAC Consulting, to infiltrate the supply chain of Gold Apollo, a Taiwanese pager manufacturer. BAC ordered customized devices bearing Gold Apollo’s branding — but with internal modifications. Payments suspiciously came from a Middle Eastern bank, not Hungary where BAC was registered.
On September 11, 2024, hundreds of these pagers, now in the possession of Hezbollah operatives and civilians in Lebanon and Syria, detonated simultaneously. The following day, modified two-way radios exploded as well. The attacks killed at least 37 people and injured over 3,000. Many of the devices had been in circulation for years, waiting for the signal to detonate — a modern form of sleeper weaponry.
The Strategic Implications
Mossad’s progression — from booby-trapped phones to AI snipers to remote mass detonations — shows a mastery of patience, infiltration, and technological adaptation. The agency’s ability to avoid collateral damage in some cases raises questions: when civilian casualties do occur, are they a matter of necessity, or choice?
These operations demonstrate not just tactical brilliance but also a shift in the philosophy of targeted killing. Mossad has proven it can operate with surgical precision — which makes incidents with broader civilian impact all the more controversial.
Conclusion
The Mossad of the 21st century is no longer just a shadowy hit squad. It’s a tech-driven, globally networked assassination apparatus capable of waiting years for the right moment. As the methods grow more sophisticated, so do the ethical and geopolitical questions surrounding their use.
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