LONDON: Outgoing Mossad chief David Barnea transformed Israel’s spy agency into a force capable of influencing conflicts across multiple fronts in the Middle East, according to a wide-ranging report published by the Jerusalem Post as he concluded his five-year tenure.
The report, published on Saturday, was based on interviews with current and former Israeli intelligence and military officials. It portrays Barnea as the architect of a significant shift in Mossad’s role, expanding it from conducting limited covert missions to playing a central role in operations targeting Iran, Hezbollah and other regional adversaries.
Among the most notable claims in the report are new details surrounding the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut in September 2024.
According to the JP, local Lebanese agents recruited by Mossad were involved in gathering intelligence and planting targeting devices that helped facilitate the Israeli strike that killed Nasrallah and several senior Hezbollah commanders.
The newspaper reported that some agents operated in areas that had recently come under Israeli bombardment, moving through active combat zones to assess damage and install equipment used in the operation.
The report said Barnea regarded the agents as among the most valuable assets involved in Israeli intelligence operations and credited locally recruited operatives with helping reshape how Mossad conducts missions abroad.
The newspaper also linked Barnea to operations against Iran, including intelligence efforts that preceded Israel’s military campaign against the country in 2025.
According to the report, Israeli officials considered supporting Kurdish groups in a broader effort aimed at destabilizing Iran’s leadership during the conflict.
The JP said Israeli planners envisioned Kurdish forces advancing on the ground with support from Israeli air power, drawing comparisons to Kurdish involvement in the US-led campaign that toppled former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in 2003.
However, the proposal was ultimately blocked by US President Donald Trump, according to Israeli sources cited by the newspaper.
The report said there remains disagreement among Israeli officials over why the plan was abandoned, with some suggesting opposition within the US administration and others pointing to concerns raised by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The newspaper stated that Barnea never viewed military action alone as sufficient to bring down Iran’s leadership but believed sustained pressure could weaken the system over time.
He reportedly argued that continued economic sanctions, diplomatic isolation and military pressure could eventually create conditions for regime change in Tehran.
The report further highlighted continuing concerns over Iran’s nuclear program. Israeli and US officials remain particularly focused on the so-called Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility, which is believed to be buried deeper underground than the Fordow enrichment site targeted during US strikes in 2025.
The JP reported that Israeli and American officials fear the facility could eventually provide Iran with a protected location for nuclear activities that would be difficult to destroy through air strikes.
The report said Trump has opposed deploying American ground forces to seize nuclear material or destroy deeply buried facilities, instead favoring negotiations aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
The article also revisited previously reported plans for a large-scale Mossad-led operation against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure that was ultimately shelved. According to the newspaper, Israeli leaders concluded in 2024 that the proposed operation was too risky, leading to a shift toward preparations for the aerial campaign launched the following year.
Sources close to Barnea disputed some of those assessments, arguing that Mossad had repeatedly demonstrated its ability to conduct unprecedented operations using local recruits and covert networks inside Iran.
The report also touched on the aftermath of the conflict with Hezbollah, claiming that several Israeli officials believe recent US intervention to prevent additional Israeli strikes in Beirut reduced pressure on Hezbollah and complicated efforts to secure further concessions from the group.
The newspaper reported that some Israeli officials had hoped continued military pressure would strengthen the Lebanese government’s position in negotiations over Hezbollah’s future role and potential disarmament.
While Barnea reportedly shared concerns about Hezbollah’s recovery, the report said he was skeptical of proposals to maintain a long-term Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon, arguing that such an approach had failed to achieve lasting results in the past.
Barnea formally stepped down this week after five years at the head of Mossad.
Despite publicly opposing the appointment of incoming Mossad chief Roman Gofman during the selection process, the JP reported that Barnea has urged agency personnel to support the new leadership and dismissed suggestions of a broader internal revolt within the intelligence service.
