CYBER OPERATIONS AT THE EDGE OF TRADITIONAL INTELLIGENCE: MOSSAD'S PAGEMAN ATTACK ON HEZBOLLAH

Abstract

This study aims to conduct an in-depth examination of the interaction between traditional intelligence methods and cyber operations, focusing on the following central research question: To what extent are hybrid cyber operations which incorporate both physical and digital elements—transforming traditional intelligence practices, and how is this transformation reshaping international security dynamics? To answer this question, the study employs a qualitative case study methodology; the Mossad’s pager attack against Hezbollah was examined within a comprehensive framework through a critical discourse analysis of open-source intelligence (OSINT) data, security reports, and relevant literature. The key finding resulting from the analysis is that cyber operations have moved beyond serving merely as tools for intelligence gathering or electronic surveillance; by exploiting supply chain vulnerabilities as an operational weapon, they have become a power factor that directly produces physical and strategic consequences. The study’s original contribution lies in analyzing how, beyond treating the pager attack merely as a technical case, both traditional intelligence and cyber operations have merged into an integrated hybrid model. In this context, the study aims to lay the groundwork—both conceptual and methodological for future research by discussing the dilemmas and strategic uncertainties that arise at the intersection of cyber operations and traditional intelligence.