Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has officially confirmed that Israel’s special services orchestrated a sabotage operation in Lebanon, leading to simultaneous explosions of thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies, an attack that left dozens dead and thousands injured. This admission marks the first public acknowledgment of the operation targeting Hezbollah communication channels, which took place on September 17.
The coordinated explosions, targeting devices primarily used by Hezbollah militants, killed at least 42 people, including 12 civilians, and injured over 3,500, with casualties reported among women and children. The following day, hundreds of walkie-talkies exploded in a second wave of blasts. This aggressive move, widely attributed to Mossad, has been perceived as a preemptive strike against Hezbollah forces, with further escalations leading to the targeted killing of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in a September 27 strike on Beirut.
Netanyahu’s statements, made during a cabinet meeting, revealed that the operation proceeded against opposition from some senior defense officials and political figures. His spokesperson, Omer Dostri, later confirmed to AFP and CNN that the prime minister had indeed authorized the mission.
While Netanyahu’s government faces ongoing criticism, the recent announcement has added to internal rifts. Earlier this week, he dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing him of “breach of trust” amid differing strategies regarding Israel’s engagements with Hamas and Hezbollah.
This escalation follows Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza and Lebanon, initially launched after a deadly attack on southern Israel by Palestinian militants on October 7, 2023, which killed over 1,100 Israelis and resulted in more than 200 hostages taken to Gaza. The conflict has since claimed tens of thousands of lives across Gaza and Lebanon, according to regional health officials, sparking widespread condemnation and calls for ceasefire from the international community.
Global leaders, including UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Turk, have criticized the pager attacks, calling them violations of human rights laws. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaking at the UN, decried both the October 7 attack and Israel’s subsequent “collective punishment” approach, calling for an international investigation into the use of civilian technology as weaponry.
Despite international pressure, Israel has intensified its campaigns against both Hamas and Hezbollah, signaling no plans to halt the strikes amid ongoing regional tensions.
