Israel’s security establishment fumes over Netanyahu’s revelation of Hezbollah beeper operation details

The prime minister introduced the topic of the Hezbollah beeper operation by saying he didn’t trust the Biden administration with Israel’s military secrets. 

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israel’s security establishment is reportedly shocked that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed secrets about Israel’s September 2024 Hezbollah pager operation during a speech at a  Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) conference on Sunday.

The prime minister introduced the topic by saying he didn’t trust the Biden Administration with Israel’s military secrets and deliberately withheld information from Washington before Israel’s beeper operation against Hezbollah in September 2024.

“I don’t read The New York Times that often, but why give them a heads-up? It would end up online,” he said.

Netanyahu went on to reveal that Israel targeted and destroyed the scanning equipment Iran had sent to Lebanon after Hezbollah grew suspicious that the beepers were rigged.

However, when three of the devices were sent to Iran for inspection, he decided it was time to take action.

“We learned that Hezbollah had sent three beepers to be scanned in Iran; we had previously bombed the scanner they were going to bring in, so we got rid of that and the guy who operates it,” he said.

At a cabinet meeting last November, Netanyahu acknowledged Israel’s responsibility for the exploding pager operation on September 17 that killed 42 people and injured an estimated 3,500, mostly Hezbollah terrorists. Israel had concealed small explosives inside the beepers that detonated simultaneously.

The incident was considered to be a turning point in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that began on October 8, 2023.

Netanyahu also stated that the planned IDF ground incursion into Lebanon was moved up by three weeks due to the pager operation being launched on short notice.

Although the prime minister has the authority to reveal classified information, the protocol states that it is usually discussing with the security establishment first, ensuring there will be no danger in such a revelation. Netanyahu reportedly did not coordinate with security officials before revealing details of the pager operation at the JNS conference.