The suspected explosive found in Israel. (Photo taken from Avichay Adraee's X account)
The Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence service, and the Israeli military announced Tuesday that they had foiled "an attack planned in the coming days by Hezbollah against a former senior Israeli security official," Haaretz reported. According to the domestic intelligence service, the party planned to use "a remotely activated explosive device" from Lebanon.
The Israeli military, which posted a message on X through its Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee, said the attack was foiled through coordination with Israel's "General Security Service."
A "Klimagor-type explosive device," an Israeli term for "Claymores," a type of anti-personnel fragmentation mine, was found in an unspecified location. This type of mine "is notorious for use by Hezbollah," according to Adraee, who explained that the device was "connected to a remote control containing a camera and a mobile phone." It was "to be activated by Hezbollah from Lebanon," according to the military.
The attack was "in its final stages of implementation" when it was foiled. The officer added that the person targeted by the operation "was informed by security forces," without revealing their identity.
A similar explosive device was also found, according to the Israeli army, on Sept. 15, 2023 in a park in Tel Aviv, "where it was to be used to target an Israeli official."
The announcement comes as the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel continues in the wake of the Gaza war that began on Oct. 8, 2023.
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.