New information about the behind-the-scenes of Israel's pager operation targeting Hezbollah's communication network in Lebanon in September 2024 has been revealed to the public.
Some parts of the interview that Yoav Gallant, who was the Israeli Minister of Defense during the operation, had previously given to Channel 12, but could not be published due to military censorship, were allowed to be published.
Gallant's statements revealed the evaluations on the Israeli side regarding the implementation of the operation earlier than planned.
Gallant said that in the first week of August 2024, they determined that there was a person within Hezbollah who was suspicious of the pagers.
The former defense minister stated that they learned that some devices had begun to be examined during the operation, and that the Israeli administration was faced with concerns that the plan might be revealed.
According to Gallant, there were two options at this stage: Start the operation or risk being exposed.
THREE DEVICES WERE SENT TO IRAN
According to new statements, Hezbollah sent some pagers to Iran to see whether the devices contained explosives.
In a speech that was previously subject to censorship, Netanyahu said that it was learned that three pagers were sent to be scanned in Iran in the third week of September 2024.
Netanyahu also claimed that a scanning system planned to be brought to the region to examine the devices and the person using it had previously been targeted by Israel. This narrative is based on the Israeli side's statement.
In the news that Jerusalem Post had previously based on a Mossad member who used the code name "Adam Feyn" and stated that he took part in the operation, it was claimed that a person from Hezbollah was close to realizing that the devices could be trapped.
According to the news, Mossad officials and an Israeli Air Force officer considered targeting the person in question in order to prevent the operation from being revealed.
Gallant's latest statements supported some of these allegations for the first time with the narration of a senior former Israeli official.
THE OPERATION IS BECOMING A DOCUMENTARY
The documentary called "Paging Hezbollah", which tells the behind-the-scenes of the pager operation, is also planned to be released on October 30.
The documentary, directed by Justin Folk, includes interviews with Netanyahu, then-Mossad Director David Barnea, and then-Chief of the Israeli Army's Northern Command, Major General Ori Gordin.
While Barnea clearly expresses the idea of turning the pagers into explosive devices in the introduction of the documentary, the film conveys the Israeli side's account of the preparation of the operation and the infiltration of Hezbollah's communications supply chain.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WERE INJURED
Following the events that started with the simultaneous explosion of many pagers across Lebanon on September 17, 2024, the radios also exploded the next day.
According to data provided by the Times of Israel, 39 people lost their lives and more than 3,400 people were injured in the pager operation. While Israeli sources stated that the devices were distributed mainly to Hezbollah members, it was reported that civilians were also affected by the explosions.
The operation became one of the starting points of the process in which the conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah soon intensified and Israel increased its attacks targeting Hezbollah's senior staff.
