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John Fetterman gleeful over pager and walkie-attacks on Hezbollah: ‘I love it’
At least 9 killed in second round of explosions in Lebanon
Walkie-talkies and pagers used by Lebanon’s Hezbollah group detonated in homes and businesses across the country.
Sen. John Fetterman said he more than supports a suspected Israeli attack that exploded pagers and walkie-talkies across Lebanon last week, killing dozens, and wounding thousands – he “loves” it.
“I thought what Israel chose to do about blowing up the pagers and then walkie talkies, and then after targeting and eliminating membership and leadership of Hezbollah – I absolutely support that. In fact, if anything, I love it,” Fetterman, D-Penn., said on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday.
More: Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon escalate in most widespread attack since Oct. 7
Fetterman’s comments came after Sen. Bernie Sanders accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of sabotaging ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas.
“Every time a deal appears close, Netanyahu moves the goalposts, introducing new demands and torpedoing the deal,” Sanders said on the Senate floor, in a video clip played for Fetterman. “It is clear to me that Netanyahu is prolonging the war in order to cling to power.”
Fetterman said he completely disagreed with Sanders. In the pager attack, “Israel demonstrated that they will not allow terrorists not to be held accountable, and I fully support that,” he added. Two children were among those killed by the sabotaged devices.
Fetterman has expressed unflinching support for Israel since the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict last October.
His position has drawn the ire of left-leaning Democrats, who have accused him of taking a sharp right turn from his messaging as a down-to-earth progressive in the lead-up to his Pennsylvania election victory.
In response, Fetterman disavowed his label as a “progressive.” He traveled to Israel several months ago and met with Netanyahu, among other Israeli leaders.
Pager, walkie-talkie attacks escalate Israel-Hezbollah conflict
The pager and walkie-talkie attacks killed 37 people and injured more than 2,700 when thousands of the devices suddenly exploded across the country within two days. Some people’s fingers were blown off, and others lost their eyes. The victims included an 8-year-old girl and the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon.
In the wake of the explosions, Beirut’s international airport banned both types of devices on flights. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps also stopped using any communications devices, Reuters reported on Monday.
Israel never confirmed or denied its involvement in the attack, but reports said the Mossad, Israel’s spy agency, planted small amounts of explosives in the devices.
Hezbollah vowed to mete out Israel’s “fair punishment” for the attack, which officials of the militant group called one of the worst security breaches in a year.
The explosions ratcheted up tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, which have traded regular strikes across the border since Israel and Hamas went to war last October in a conflict that’s killed 1,200 Israelis and 40,000 Palestinians.
The Lebanese health ministry said another 100 people were killed on Monday in the deadliest Israeli airstrikes to hit Lebanon in at least a year. Areas around the country, from the southern border to northern regions near Syria, were hit. Hezbollah said it fired several dozen rockets towards northern Israel.
It was the latest in days of Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon and hundreds of Hezbollah rockets launched over the border. Israel struck almost 300 targets over the weekend, according to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
“If Hezbollah has not understood the message, I promise you, it will understand the message,” he said.
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