Eisenkot Claims Netanyahu Delayed Major Lebanon Operation
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot told 103FM that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed a major operation against Hezbollah, codenamed the "beeper operation," which Eisenkot believed could have been executed earlier and on a larger scale. Eisenkot claimed Netanyahu feared proceeding with the plan in February, despite his urging. Interviewer Yinon Magal presented recordings to challenge Eisenkot, who accused Magal of taking his words out of context. The successful operation involved Hezbollah acquiring over 16,000 booby-trapped devices.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Gadi Eisenkot claims Benjamin Netanyahu delayed a major "beeper operation" against Hezbollah in February.
- Eisenkot stated he urged Netanyahu to proceed with the operation, calling it a "closing ceremony" for the Middle East.
- Interviewer Yinon Magal presented recordings, which Eisenkot accused him of editing out of context.
- Ben Caspit noted Netanyahu also spoke of a diplomatic solution for Lebanon at the UN.
- The "beeper operation" successfully supplied Hezbollah with over 16,000 booby-trapped devices.
Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot revealed on 103FM radio that a significant operation targeting Hezbollah, known as the "beeper operation," could have been executed earlier and on a larger scale, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu allegedly hesitated.
Eisenkot stated that he urged Netanyahu in February to proceed with the operation in Lebanon, which he described as a "closing ceremony" that would have had a major strategic impact on the Middle East. He claimed Netanyahu "feared doing it." Eisenkot also countered accusations from interviewer Yinon Magal, who had previously called his statements "Gadi and his tall tales," asserting that Magal was misrepresenting his words by taking them out of context.
During the interview, Magal played a recording of Eisenkot from an interview with Ilana Dayan, where Eisenkot discussed the need to avoid a full-scale war and secure achievements. Eisenkot argued that Magal was selectively editing clips to distort his meaning. He reiterated that he had pushed for the northern operation in February, emphasizing that a deal was unlikely and that the initial ceasefire was a mistake.
Ben Caspit joined the discussion, pointing out that Netanyahu himself echoed the sentiment of seeking a diplomatic solution for Lebanon in a UN speech three weeks after Eisenkot's alleged February push. A recording of Netanyahu's UN address was played, in which he spoke of returning residents of southern Lebanon home, preferably through diplomacy.
Details emerged about the beeper operation itself, with two former Mossad agents describing its success. Hezbollah acquired over 16,000 booby-trapped communication devices without suspicion, as part of a sophisticated operation involving shell companies that infiltrated their supply chain. One agent described it as a "big show" where they wrote the script, directed, and produced, with Hezbollah unknowingly acting as the audience.
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