The New York Times has reported that Israel initiated the "Pager Operation" against Hezbollah members due to concerns that their booby-trapped devices might be exposed.
According to the report published on Sunday, the booby-trapped devices had aroused suspicion among Hezbollah operatives, who then sent several of them to Iran for thorough inspection. Israeli intelligence feared the subterfuge would be uncovered and decided to detonate the devices preemptively.
The article, based on interviews with senior officials in Israel, the US, and Lebanon, also claims that Hezbollah's Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was unaware of the depth of Israeli intelligence penetration. Nasrallah reportedly believed that Israel would refrain from targeting him during the escalation following the October 7 attacks, assuming Israel was deterred and uninterested in a full-scale war.
Additionally, the report alleges that following an Israeli Air Force strike, the bodies of Nasrallah and Iranian Quds Force General Abbas Nilforoushan were discovered near each other. The two senior officials reportedly died of asphyxiation caused by the collapse of the bunker they were in.
