Israeli PM claims responsibility for deadly pager attack on Hezbollah
(VOVWORLD) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday officially took responsibility for a deadly attack targeting Hezbollah in September, in which thousands of handheld pagers exploded across Lebanon and Syria.
 People gather outside Beirut Medical Center in Beirut, Lebanon, following the pager explosions (Photo: Reuters/ VNA) |
Netanyahu confirmed the incident at a weekly cabinet meeting, stating that he anticipated the US would oppose the action.
It marks the first time an Israeli official has publicly acknowledged Israel's role in the attack, which sharply escalated cross-border hostilities between Israel and Lebanon that have persisted since October 2023.
The operation, conducted in two waves on September 17 and 18, involved the detonation of thousands of explosive-laden pagers and hundreds of walkie-talkies across Lebanon and Syria, aiming at Hezbollah members. At least 42 people were killed and more than 3,400 injured during the attack, according to Lebanese reports.
The Lebanese health ministry announced on Monday that the country’s death toll in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict had crossed 3,000.