Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged authorizing the “pager attacks” in Lebanon that targeted Hezbollah fighters. The attacks, which took place in September, reportedly resulted in the deaths of around 40 people and injured approximately 3,000 Hezbollah fighters, who are backed by Iran. Netanyahu’s spokesperson, Omar Dostri, confirmed to AFP that the prime minister had greenlit the operation.
The incident occurred on September 17, when thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah fighters exploded over two consecutive days. Hezbollah and Iran attributed these explosions to Israel, as Hezbollah had relied on pagers as a low-tech communication tool to evade Israeli tracking.
Lebanon’s Complaint to the UN
Shortly before the blasts, Israel had announced an expanded military mission following Hamas’s October 7 attacks, indicating that it would now also focus on Hezbollah, Hamas’s ally along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. Lebanon subsequently lodged a complaint with the United Nations, describing the pager blasts as a “heinous crime against humanity.”
Hezbollah’s Purchase of 5,000 Pagers
According to Reuters, Hezbollah had recently procured thousands of pagers for its fighters. Just hours before the explosion, the devices had been distributed. Hezbollah trusted these pagers for their safety, though reports suggest the devices contained undetectable explosives. A bulk order of around 5,000 pagers was shipped to Lebanon earlier this year; they overheated suddenly, resulting in the explosions.
Heavy Casualties in Lebanon
Since October of the previous year, more than 3,000 people have reportedly died in Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces have intensified along the Lebanon-Israel border since Hamas’s assault on Israel last year. Among the notable casualties are former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and his successor, Hashem Safieddine, who was reportedly killed in an Israeli strike in southern Beirut last month.
