Mossad chief David Barnea spoke today about the explosive beeper operation targeting Hezbollah and explained why it was not initiated at the start of the war in October 2023.
Barnea revealed that the first batch of beepers, numbering only 500, was shipped to Lebanon just weeks before the October 7 attacks. By the time the operation was executed nearly a year later, the number of beepers that detonated was ten times greater than what had been in place at the outset of the war.
Discussing the timing of the operation’s activation last September, Barnea acknowledged the complexity of the decision. “The dilemma in activating Operation Beeper on September 17, 2024 was very great,” he said.
He elaborated on the deliberations that took place before the plan was approved. “In the discussion in which the operation was approved, two schools of thought were presented, both of which were correct at the time they were presented. The Prime Minister ultimately made the decision in complete contradiction to the prevailing opinion at that discussion.”
Barnea also addressed concerns regarding the scale of the explosives used in the operation. “The amount of explosives in all the radios and pagers combined did not exceed the amount of explosives found in one standard mine,” he noted.
Turning to the issue of the hostages, Barnea emphasized Israel’s commitment to securing their release. “There is nothing valued higher than the return of the hostages. We will continue to operate until everyone returns home.”
{Matzav.com Israel}