Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he approved a deadly September attack on Hezbollah communications devices that exploded in Lebanon – the first time Israel admitted involvement, Al Jazeera reported.

“Netanyahu confirmed Sunday that he greenlighted the pager operation in Lebanon,” his spokesman Omer Dostri said of the attacks that killed nearly 40 people and wounded nearly 3,000.

A week after the pager attacks, Israel announced a ground operation in southern Lebanon and began heavy air strikes on areas in Beirut’s southern suburbs and the eastern Bekaa Valley, Hezbollah strongholds.