Three masked Mossad agents were honored for their role in a covert operation targeting Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon during Israel’s Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony last week, marking their first public appearance and drawing widespread attention from Arab media outlets across the region.
The agents, identified only by the initials R, D and N, lit the 12th and final torch on Mount Herzl during Wednesday night’s national celebration. The segment, introduced as the “torch of the shadow operatives,” paid tribute to their involvement in what Israeli officials described as the “Pagers Operation” — a clandestine mission in which explosive devices disguised as beepers were used against Hezbollah targets.
While the moment was framed domestically as a rare salute to the country’s intelligence community, it was portrayed in Arab media as the first public reveal of the Mossad operatives behind the mission, prompting wall-to-wall coverage across the region.
During the ceremony, an announcer declared: “The people behind the planning and execution of this brilliant operation are members of the Mossad for Intelligence and Special Operations. With this final torch of the evening, an entire nation salutes three of Mossad’s shadow warriors — and says to them and their fellow agents: thank you.”
The three agents gave brief speeches. R, a female officer, introduced herself as the operational commander of the mission. D was described as a technological lead in Mossad’s tech division, and N served as the intelligence officer overseeing the mission.
The operatives wore black clothing, masks and sunglasses, maintaining the agency’s hallmark secrecy even as they stood on a national stage.
The appearance triggered a wave of regional media responses. Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat called it “a rare public tribute,” while Jordan’s Rai al-Youm described it as “a rare Israeli public gesture.” Several outlets, including Lebanon’s An-Nahar and Qatar’s Al-Araby, aired footage of the moment, with Al-Araby adding dramatic music and the caption: “Beepers Operation agents light torch at Israeli Independence Day ceremony.”
Lebanon’s Al-Jadeed broadcast the clip with the caption: “Beepers Operation agents make first public appearance.” Egypt’s Al-Rad described the footage as “the first public appearance of Mossad agents behind the Beepers Operation against Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon.” Jordan’s Al-Mamlaka aired a two-minute segment linking the agents’ appearance to the still-unfolding investigation into the pager explosions.
Saudi-based channels Al-Hadath and Al-Arabiya reported that “a year and a half after the beeper devices exploded in the hands of Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon, Israel publicly honored the Mossad agents who planned and carried out the mission.” Their reports emphasized the agents’ disguises and noted the complexity of the operation — including the use of fake companies, undercover operatives and coordinated detonation strategies.
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The media attention also sparked criticism from Hezbollah and its affiliates. The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is aligned with the militant group, accused Gulf outlets of portraying the agents “as if they were knights protecting holy sites.” It condemned the omission of the word “enemy” in references to Israel and claimed the coverage failed to note that the operation was conducted in response to Hezbollah’s support for Gaza.
Al-Akhbar also alleged that some Saudi media coverage appeared “more celebratory than the Israeli media itself.”