Israel PM Netanyahu confirms he ordered Sept 17 pager attack on Hezbollah in Lebanon

This is the first time that Israel has officially accepted its involvement in the pager attack which took place on September 17 and killed at least 37 people, while injuring 3,000 others.

Netanyahu, who has had a string of health issues in recent years, has gone to great lengths to bolster a public image of himself as a fully healthy, energetic leader. (Photo: AP)

For the first time in almost two months since the incident, the Israeli administration led by PM Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged that they carried out the pager and walkie-talkie attacks in Lebanon which were used by the Hezbollah militant group.

On Sunday, the Israeli media reported that PM Netanyahu told his cabinet, “The beeper operation and the elimination of Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah were launched despite the opposition of senior officials in the security establishment and the political echelon in charge of them,” as reported by CNN.

This is the first time that Israel has officially accepted its involvement in the pager attack which took place on September 17. “PM Netanyahu confirmed Sunday that he greenlighted the pager operation in Lebanon,” said prime minister’s spokesperson Omer Dostri, as per AFP.

PM Netanyahu, Israel, pager blast, hezbollah

People gather outside the American University hospital after the arrival of several men who were wounded by exploded handheld pagers, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bassam Masri)

The acceptance comes amid the Israeli government facing criminal investigations over allegedly leaking false intelligence inputs to the foreign media. The Prime Minister’s Office has denied any wrongdoing.

On September 17, in a ghastly surprise attack, thousands of explosions took place across Lebanon in pagers and the next day in walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah group’s members. The blast killed at least 37 people and injured more than 3,000 individuals, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

Also Read | Pager, walkie-talkie attacks in Lebanon: What you need to know

The pagers and walkie-talkies detonated two consecutive days in Lebanon in September and sent shockwaves about how it was implemented and who was likely behind it.

Post the attack, then Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had said on September 18 that “The IDF brings excellent achievements, together with the Shin Bet, together with Mossad, all the bodies and all the frameworks and the results are very impressive results.”

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Hezbollah started attacking Israel in low intensity on October 7, 2023 in support of Hamas militant group based in Gaza. But the attacks have become intense since war broke out in Lebanon in September between Israel and Hezbollah.

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