Mossad Chief David Barnea Says Mossad Operative M Was Killed in Italy During Iran Campaign

Israel’s Mossad chief David Barnea said on Tuesday that an agency operative identified only as “M.” was killed outside “Israel” during operations against Iran, making it the first publicly acknowledged Mossad fatality linked to the campaign.

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Al-Manar TV Lebanon

Barnea said at a memorial ceremony that “During the Lion's Roar campaign, my thoughts and heart were filled with pride in the figure and actions of M.,” and he added that “the operations led by M. combined creativity, cunning, and technology and significantly influenced the success of the campaign against Iran.”

Haaretz

Multiple outlets tied “M.” to a death in Italy in 2023, describing a boat incident on Lake Maggiore, north of Milan, while reporting that the operative was not killed in Iranian territory.

The Times of Israel reported that the agent, identifiable only by the first Hebrew letter of his name, “Mem,” was among four people who drowned when a boat capsized in Italy’s Lake Maggiore, and it said Italian media named him as 50-year-old Erez Shimoni.

Haaretz and The Times of Israel both described Barnea’s claim that the operative “contributed to Iran war success,” while Roya News and Lokmat Times described Barnea’s remarks at a ceremony and said the agent was killed outside “Israel” but not specified where they died and when.

The Jerusalem Post added that Barnea did not specify who “M.” was, when they fell, or during which incident, and it said he only noted it was outside Israel’s borders.

Israeli and international reporting described the death of “M.” as occurring in Italy in 2023 during a Lake Maggiore incident, with several outlets specifying the location and the number of people killed.

The Times of Israel said the agent “was among four people who drowned when aboat capsizedin Italy’s Lake Maggiore,” and it reported that at the time he was named by Italian media as 50-year-old Erez Shimoni, believed to be an alias.

i24NEWS

It added that “Mem’s body was transported back to Israel for burial at Ashkelon’s military cemetery,” and it said senior Mossad officials, including Barnea, were at the funeral.

The Jerusalem Post similarly said “He was killed in Lake Maggiore, north of Milan, near the Swiss border, when his boat sank, killing him, two members of Italian intelligence, and the wife of the ship's captain.”

i24NEWS linked the death to the Lake Maggiore boat incident on May 28, 2023, when the houseboat Gooduria capsized in northern Italy, killing four people among 23 on board.

JNS.org and The Times of Israel both described the operative as having served for decades, with JNS.org saying “M. ... served in the Mossad for 30 years,” while The Times of Israel described “Mem” as having a real identity that was “not officially publicized” but “publicly available on official Israeli memorial sites.”

Barnea framed the death of “M.” as part of Israel’s broader campaign against Iran, repeatedly linking the operative’s work to “Operation Roaring Lion.”

“- i24NEWS - Israel - Defense News - Mossad chief reveals information on late Mossad agent who contributed to Iran war Mossad chief reveals information on late Mossad agent who contributed to Iran war Israeli intelligence agency head Barnea highlights sacrifice across generations, reveals details on operative who died abroad The head of the Mossad on Tuesday memorialized a fallen operative identified as “M”

i24NEWS

The Times of Israel quoted Barnea saying, “During Operation Roaring Lion, my thoughts and heart were filled with pride in the person and work of ‘Mem,’ who fell outside of Israel while fulfilling his duties,” and it said Barnea described the operative’s work as combining “creativity, cunning, and advanced technology.”

JNS.org similarly quoted Barnea at a Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day) ceremony, saying “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,” and it added that “the operations led by M. combined creativity and ingenuity alongside technology, and had a significant impact on the success of the campaign against Iran.”

Lokmat Times and Haaretz both reported the same core claim that Barnea said the operative’s actions “significantly influenced the success of the campaign against Iran,” with Lokmat Times quoting Barnea that “the operations led by M. combined creativity, cunning, and technology and significantly influenced the success of the campaign against Iran.”

Israel National News and The Jerusalem Post both described Barnea’s remarks as the first time the death was revealed publicly, with Israel National News saying “This is the first time that the death of a Mossad member has been revealed.”

Beyond the death itself, JNS.org reported that Barnea said that after “Operation Rising Lion” against Tehran in June 2025, “the Mossad would continue to conduct covert operations inside the Islamic Republic for the foreseeable future,” and it quoted Barnea in a video message: “We will be there, like we have been there.”

The Mossad chief’s disclosure came during Israel’s Memorial Day ceremonies for fallen soldiers and security personnel, with multiple Israeli officials using the occasion to connect Israel’s security struggle to Iran and to ongoing conflict.

Lokmat Times reported that Barnea spoke at a state ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed Israel’s security struggles as part of “a long historical pattern of existential threats,” and it quoted Netanyahu saying, “In every generation, people rise up against us to destroy us - even in this generation.”

JNS.org

Lokmat Times also quoted Netanyahu warning that Iranian nuclear sites “could have joined Auschwitz, Majdanek and Treblinka,” and it said Netanyahu tied the war to the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, saying it reinforced Israel’s mission “to protect the home, the people and the state.”

The same Lokmat Times account said Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem would “pay with the loss of his head” for attacks against Israel, and it said Katz added that Israel would continue military operations even during ceasefires to defend northern communities and maintain deterrence.

Itamar Ben Gvir, described by Lokmat Times as speaking at a police memorial ceremony, said the aftermath of the October 7 attack created “a moment of great opportunity to change 'the concept,'” referring to security doctrine.

Lokmat Times said the ceremony was attended by President Isaac Herzog, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit, and it reported that a nationwide two-minute siren marked remembrance.

While Israeli outlets agreed that Barnea publicly linked “M.” to the campaign against Iran, they differed in how much they specified about identity, timing, and the circumstances of the death.

“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 on Tuesday”

JNS.org

Roya News said Mossad chief David Barnea announced that an “Israeli” agent identified only as M. was killed during operations against Iran, and it stated that “The agent was killed outside of ‘Israel’ but it was not specified where they died and when,” before noting that Hebrew media reported the agent died in Italy in 2023.

Lokmat Times

Lokmat Times and The Times of Israel both described the operative as killed in Italy in 2023 and tied the disclosure to Israel’s Memorial Day, but The Times of Israel provided additional details about the boat’s passenger count and legal capacity, saying the boat was “carrying 23 passengers when it could only legally hold 15.”

The Jerusalem Post said Barnea “did not specify who M. was, when they fell, or during which incident,” and it still reported that after the initial announcement “Israeli media reported that M. died in Italy in 2023 while working with Italian intelligence to prevent Tehran from obtaining advanced weapons.”

Haaretz and The Times of Israel framed the disclosure as a major impact on the “2026 war against Iran,” with Haaretz stating that Barnea said the operative killed in Italy in 2023 “had a major impact on the 2026 war against Iran.”

Across the accounts, the common thread remained Barnea’s quoted claim that “the operations led by M.” combined “creativity, cunning, and technology” and “significantly influenced the success of the campaign against Iran,” but the outlets varied on whether they emphasized the boat incident, the identity details, or the broader political framing around Iran.