Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he OK'd a deadly September attack on Hezbollah communications devices that exploded in Lebanon, the first time Israel has admitted involvement.
"Netanyahu confirmed Sunday that he greenlighted the pager operation in Lebanon," his spokesman Omer Dostri told Agence France-Presse of the attacks.
Hand-held devices used by Hezbollah operatives detonated two days in a row in supermarkets, on streets and at funerals in mid-September, which killed nearly 40 people and wounded more than 3,200, and preceded Israel's current military operation in Lebanon.
▲ A sign reading in Hebrew, "400 days disgrace Netanyahu" (Israeli prime minister), is displayed on the pavement at a rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday demanding the return of Israeli hostages kidnapped during Hamas' Oct 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel. Jack Guez/AFP
International law experts say the development should make a stronger case for the International Criminal Court to investigate Israeli leaders for war crimes.
Glenn Wijaya, an associate at law firm Christian Teo & Partners in Jakarta, told China Daily that this admission "could challenge the immunity traditionally granted to top officials, especially if these actions are deemed war crimes".
"If left unchecked, it could erode the principle of individual criminal responsibility, weaken global norms of accountability and embolden other leaders to act with impunity," he said.
It also raises significant concerns about the legality of these actions under international humanitarian law, said Wijaya, who also holds a bachelor's degree in International and European Law from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
"Targeting dual-use items requires a clear military justification to avoid harm to civilians, and indiscriminate attacks ... are strictly prohibited."
Such an admission could be part of a broader political or legal strategy, where Netanyahu justifies the actions as necessary for national security or attempts to take responsibility in the face of public or legal pressure, he said.
The confession came at a turbulent time as Netanyahu and his defense attorney, Amit Hadad, submitted a request to the Jerusalem District Court on Sunday to postpone the prime minister's testimony for his graft trial by 10 weeks to March, citing security developments that hindered preparation, The Jerusalem Post reported.
'Egregious' attack
Last week, Lebanon's Labor Minister Mustafa Bayram filed a complaint to the International Labour Organization of the United Nations against Israel over the exploding pagers, Al Jazeera reported.
Bayram said the attack was an "egregious war against humanity, against technology, against work "and a "very dangerous precedent" if not condemned.
"We are in a situation where ordinary objects — objects used in daily life — become dangerous and lethal," he said.
In May, Karim Khan, the British chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, requested arrest warrants against Israeli and Hamas leaders for alleged crimes against humanity in Gaza. However, Khan has recently been hit with sexual harassment accusations involving a female colleague, in what is widely believed to be a smear campaign.
Gokhan Batu, an analyst on Israel studies at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies in Turkiye, told China Daily that Netanyahu's admission not only attacked former defense minister Yoav Gallant's reputation but also "served as a response to the wave of protests that erupted following Gallant's dismissal".
"In this manner, Netanyahu both claimed success for recent pager and walkie-talkie operations, contributing to the restoration of his political reputation, which had been significantly damaged after Oct 7 last year, while indirectly criticizing Gallant and the military," Batu said.
In the latest development, Hezbollah said on Monday it has not received any proposals on a truce for Lebanon, as Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said diplomatic efforts had made "progress" and amid Israeli media reports that the cabinet had approved a cease-fire proposal.
"So far, according to my information, nothing official has reached Lebanon or us in this regard," the head of Hezbollah's media office, Mohammad Afif, said at a news conference in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Reporter: Jan Yumul
Agencies contributed to this story.
