Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has admitted Israel's roles in the pager and walkie-talkie blasts in Lebanon, which killed nearly 40 people. As per Hebrew media, texts leaked from a cabinet meeting show that Israel has admitted its role in the deadly attacks.
As per a report by the Times of Israel, quotes of the weekly cabinet meeting were leaked to media, in which Netanyahu admitted that Israel was behind the deadly attacks in Lebanon.
In September, thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies detonated across Lebanon and Syria as part of Israel's operation to target Hezbollah workers.
The blasts in Lebanon killed at least 37 people, including some children, and injured nearly 3,000, many of them civilian bystanders, as per the Lebanese health ministry.
"The pager operation and the elimination of [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah were carried out despite the opposition of senior officials in the defense establishment and those responsible for them in the political echelon,” Netanyahu was cited as saying, while also taking a jibe at recently fired defense minister Yoav Gallant.
An Israeli official further confirmed the remarks made by Netanyahu to US-based CNN, marking Israel's first admittance of its role.
Since the recent escalation of the war in Gaza, the Israeli government is facing multiple criminal probes ranging from carrying out killings of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders to leaking falsified intelligence reports to international media. However, the Prime Minister's office continues to deny all wrongdoing.
As Israel continues to bombardment Gaza and Lebanon, thousands of protestors marched across Tel Aviv calling on the Netanyahu government to work towards the urgent release of the remaining hostages.
Marking 400 days since their abduction, families of the hostages and many Israelis expressed their anger towards the prime minister and the current government for their "lack of action" to bring home the hostages.
