Israel scored stunning blow against Hezbollah. Its path to victory is less clear
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. TEL AVIV—In a long history of audacious operations, exploding pagers and walkie-talkies across Lebanon was one of Israel’s boldest feats, delivering a stunning tactical success that threw the militant group Hezbollah into disarray and which could help restore the deterrence Israel lost on Oct. 7.
What remains in question is whether it did anything to solve Israel’s pressing problems: stopping Hezbollah’s rocket-and-missile attacks and returning tens of thousands of Israelis to the northern border region. If anything, it might have brought the two sides closer to a full-scale conflict, as Israel now braces for Hezbollah’s response. The Biden administration, which is still struggling to find a diplomatic solution to avert a major war between Israel and Hezbollah, says it wasn’t consulted on the attack.
The attack achieved a number of Israel’s tactical aims, former military officials and analysts said. It disrupted Hezbollah’s operations, injuring thousands of its members and showing a deep penetration of the militant group’s supply chain and communications network. Explosives injected into the batteries of thousands of pagers by Israel, according to people briefed on the operation, detonated simultaneously this week.
It is also one of a string of attacks, including the recent killings of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, that have helped re-establish the fearsome reputation of Israel’s military and intelligence services after the Oct. 7 attack. “This sends a message to Hezbollah that this is going to look ugly for you," said Amos Yadlin, a former head of military intelligence.
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