Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Acknowledges Responsibility for Deadly Pager Attacks on Hezbollah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed for the first time that he approved the deadly pager attacks against Hezbollah in September, according to his office. A spokesperson revealed on Monday that Netanyahu took responsibility for the September 17 assault, which resulted in mass casualties, during a private cabinet meeting, as reported by the Times of Israel.

During the meeting, Netanyahu explained that despite opposition from senior defense officials and political leaders, he authorized the attack. “The pager operation and the elimination of [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah were carried out despite objections from senior defense officials and others in the political sphere,” he reportedly stated.

The highly coordinated attack, which Israel had not publicly acknowledged at the time, involved the simultaneous detonation of thousands of weaponized pagers across Beirut and other Hezbollah strongholds. The explosions resulted in 39 deaths and over 3,400 injuries. The pagers, as well as hundreds of walkie-talkies that exploded the following day, detonated when they emitted a beep indicating an incoming message, causing them to heat up and explode in the hands or pockets of their users.

Most of the casualties were individuals linked to Hezbollah, who had recently been supplied with the devices after the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, warned fighters against carrying cellphones to avoid being tracked or targeted.

In the wake of the attack, both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government accused Israel of aggression.