Israel PM Netanyahu admits he approved Lebanon Pager attack that claimed 40 lives
PTC News Desk: In a first reaction Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted Israel's role in the Lebanon pager attack. Netnayahu's admission revealed that Israel was behind the attack on hideouts of Lebanon based militant group Hezbollah.
During a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu also addressed that Israeli forces carried out a precision strike in Beirut, killing Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, after receiving direct orders from him. "The pager operation and the elimination of (Hassan) Nasrallah were carried out despite the opposition of senior officials in the defence establishment and those responsible for them in the political echelon," Netanyahu said.
The pagers that killed several people were used with an objective to avoid Israeli surveillance as neither microphones nor cameras or gps were incorporated in them. However in a classified operation, pagers were detonated within 30 minutes.
Israel's operation in Lebanon prompted Iran to launch counter attacks and barrage of missiles were launched at the Jewish nation. The Middle East has been experiencing a severe security crisis for over a year, following Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israel that killed around 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages. This assault sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, which has claimed over 41,000 lives. Additionally, Iran-backed groups—such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and various militias in Iraq and Syria—have increased their attacks on Israel, raising concerns about the potential for a wider regional conflict.
- With inputs from agencies
