A Mossad agent who laid the groundwork for Israel’s “Operation Roaring Lion” against Iran fell in the line of duty “outside of Israel,” the agency’s director, David Barnea, revealed April 21, JNS reported.
“During ‘Operation Roaring Lion,’ my thoughts and heart were filled with pride in the character and actions of M., who fell outside Israel while carrying out his duty,” Barnea said at a Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day) ceremony for members of the intelligence agency, according to the Kan News public broadcaster.
“The operations led by M. combined creativity and ingenuity alongside technology, and had a significant impact on the success of the campaign against Iran,” the Jewish state’s top spy added.
The Jewish state’s Channel 12 News broadcaster identified M. as the former Mossad agent who was killed when a tourist boat overturned on Lake Maggiore in northern Italy on May 28, 2023. Israeli media at the time identified the deceased as 50-year-old Erez Shimoni, but the Prime Minister’s Office said that no additional details would be forthcoming due to the individual’s past service to the country.
The other fatalities among the 22 passengers and two crew members were two Italians who worked for the country’s intelligence service and the Russian wife of the boat captain. The rest of those aboard managed to swim to shore or were rescued by other boats, although five of them were injured in the incident.
According to reports, 18 of the 20 survivors were also either active or former intelligence agents. Like the Israelis, the Italians were quickly evacuated from emergency rooms and hotels “so as not to leave a trace.”
