Three days have passed since the Beeper attack in Lebanon that left 12 dead and nearly 2,800 injured, and two days that left at least 20 dead and some 450 injured. Israeli authorities remain silent and do not respond to the accusations of Hezbollah and the Iranian government. There is little doubt, however, that Israel is behind the maneuver, and many point in one direction when dissecting its cyber section: Unit 8200, a mysterious entity that is said to have participated in the preparations for the operations.
An intelligence source pointed out Reuters that the military section had been preparing for about a year. The planning was rigorous and the operation aimed at restoring the image of state intelligence, which had been called into question after the Hamas offensive on October 7.
Although the unit does not belong to the Mossad, it is recognized as the largest within the army and each of its members is highly trained. In simple terms, it is comparable to the US NSA..
A Western security source said Reuters The fact that Unit 8200 was involved in the development phase of the operation against Hezbollah required many months of preparation. What is known is that it descends from the first decryption groups that appeared after World War II.
The same source claims that Unit 8200 focused on the technical aspects of the operation, looking for a way to insert explosives into the devices during their manufacturing process. The activity was, as always, confidential.
This activity and those that preceded it are shrouded in mystery. Its functions range from data mining to technological attacks. Although little is known about the specific episodes in which it participated, its leader confirmed last year that it had used artificial intelligence to select Hamas targets to attack. However, not only was it the author of last Tuesday’s attack, but also of those on Wednesday, in which hundreds of walkie talkies They exploded simultaneously.
Additionally, according to the Israel Defense Forces, Unit 8300 foiled an Islamic State attack on a Western country. It is believed, though not acknowledged, that it was present in the “Stuxnet” attack, which Iranian nuclear centrifuges deactivated. And this is part of espionage activities against Palestinians both in Gaza and the West Bank.
Israel Defense and Security Forum research director Yossi Kuperwasser said the members of 8200 are among the best and brightest in the entire country’s military. Their service is also essential to Israel’s defensive capabilities. However, he added that it was not certain that they were responsible for the massive attack in Lebanon.
Mistakes and lessons
The military unit acts as a preventive alert in Israel. That is why, after the brutal attacks carried out by the Hamas terrorist group in October last year, it assumed responsibility for the events. The failure to detect the entry of the armed group has sparked a series of criticisms and questions about their work.
The reprisals continue to this day. Last week, his commander announced in a letter published by Israeli media his resignation. In the document, he says not having fulfilled its mission.
From there, the section stepped on the gas and set itself the primary goal of restoring its image and never making a mistake of this magnitude again. That’s how he sees it. Avi ShuaOne of the intelligence graduates: “Whether it’s a software weakness problem, math, encryption, a hacking problem… you should be able to do it yourself.”
Young recruits are usually rotated constantly, replacing older officials, he assured. Kobi Samburskialso a former member of the Unit and managing partner of an investment fund in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence called Gillot Capital Partners. “The most important thing here is the culture of ‘can do’, where everything is possible” he adds.
The recent offensive in Lebanon threatens to open a new front for Israel in the war against Hezbollah. Thus, the same army group that attributed responsibility for the incident that sparked the start of the conflict would now be the author of an unprecedented strike on the enemy.
