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News   Israel News

Mossad chief praises Netanyahu for Hezbollah pager operation

Countering claims by former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the Mossad chief said that the operation was far more effective than it would have been if conducted months earlier.

JNS Staff
Netanyahu Barnea
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talks with Mossad Director David Barnea at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, Oct. 15, 2023. Photo by Kobi Gideon/GPO.
(Feb. 26, 2025 / JNS)

Mossad chief David Barnea on Tuesday revealed new details about Israel’s Sept. 17, 2024 operation targeting Hezbollah’s communications devices.

Speaking at the INSS International Conference in Tel Aviv, Barnea praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for approving the operation despite opposition, and countered claims by former defense minister Yoav Gallant that delaying the attack decreased its impact.

According to Barnea, by the time of the operation, Hezbollah had 10 times more beepers and twice as many walkie-talkies than when the Iranian-backed terror group opened a front against Israel from Lebanon a day after Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.

Barnea called the operation a “turning point” in Israel’s military campaign against Hezbollah.

Hezbollah Benjamin Netanyahu Defense and Security
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