Israel detonated Hezbollah’s pagers early over fears that terror group had uncovered plot: reports

Israeli officials decided to detonate thousands of Hezbollah pagers early on Tuesday over worries that the terror group might have uncovered their plot, according to multiple reports.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his top officials reportedly greenlit the coordinated attack sooner rather than later when intelligence briefings in recent days suggested Hezbollah might have detected the explosives allegedly placed inside their pagers, sources told news sites Axios and Al-Monitor.

Additional sources claimed the decision to launch Wednesday’s follow-up attack, which saw thousands of Hezbollah walkie-talkie radios explode, was also sped up over concerns that the terrorists would ditch the devices following Tuesday’s surprise attack, according to Axios.

The exploding devices killed at least 26 people — including at least two children — and left more than 3,200 others wounded, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.

The AR-924 pagers involved in the first wave of attacks were allegedly hijacked by Israel before they were imported to Lebanon, the New York Times reported, citing US and other officials briefed on the operation.

The Jewish state then allegedly implanted explosive material next to the battery, with a switch that could be triggered remotely to detonate.

Hezbollah switched to pagers after the terror group’s leaders warned its operatives to toss out their cell phones earlier this year over fears Israel had hacked Lebanese cell networks and could also use the devices for targeted attacks.

The booby-trapped pagers were then detonated by a sending a message impersonating the leaders of the group, officials told the Times.

The walkie-talkies that were detonated on Wednesday morning were all ordered for the terror group about five months ago, around the same time as the deadly pagers. 

While Israel has refused to comment on the attack on Hezbollah’s communication system, the terror group and Lebanese government have placed the blame squarely on the Jewish state.

Hashim Safi Al Din, a top Hezbollah official and relative of terror chief Hassan Nasrallah, warned that the group would launch a deadly retaliatory attack against Israel.

“These attacks will certainly be uniquely punished; there will be a bloodily unique revenge,” he said in a statement. 

Hamas joined in the condemnation, claiming the strikes against its fellow Iran-backed terror group “now threaten the security and stability of the region.”