Mossad chief David Barnea, on Tuesday (Feb 25), commended Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for authorising the exploding beeper and walkie-talkie operations against Hezbollah in the month of September. 

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While speaking at the INSS International Conference in Tel Aviv, Barnea also countered claims made by former defence minister Yoav Gallant regarding the optimal timing of the attack. 

Barnea stated that an earlier operation in Lebanon would not have yielded the same results, contradicting Gallant's push for a major operation in Lebanon just days after October 7, 2023. 

There were “ten times as many beepers” in Hezbollah's hands when they were detonated on September 17 than at the beginning of the war, he said according to The Times of Israel.

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He further lauded Netanyahu for deciding to move forward with the operation “in the face of the majority opinion in the room.”

'Turning point'

Citing details about the operation, which Barnea described as a "turning point" in the fighting, he said that its preparations began over a year ago. 

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However, upon realising that the booby-trapped walkie-talkies had limitations, the Mossad team shifted focus to developing exploding pagers in late 2022

He said that over 500 beepers arrived in Lebanon weeks before the October 7 attacks.

When they exploded in the month of September, most of the walkie-talkies were in storage in Hezbollah warehouses.

Also read: ‘That was a great operation’: Trump says as Netanyahu gifts golden pager to US president

Pager blast

In September last year, thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon exploded, reportedly killing 40 and wounding 3,000 Hezbollah militants.

Later, Netanyahu accepted that he had "okayed" the pager attacks.

"Netanyahu confirmed Sunday that he greenlighted the pager operation in Lebanon," spokesperson Omer Dostri told news agency AFP. 

The strikes were conducted shortly after Israel declared its intent to expand its military efforts against Hezbollah along the Lebanon border.

(With inputs from agencies)