Pagers blast: ‘Israel warned US of upcoming operation in Lebanon but...’; what we know so far

Israel warned U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a call on Tuesday about an upcoming military operation in Lebanon, though no specific details were provided, the Associated Press reported, citing US officials.

On the same day, an attack widely attributed to Israel resulted in the activation of thousands of pagers belonging to Hezbollah militants. 

This call was one of four between Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant that week, amid rising tensions and attacks between Israel and Hezbollah, raising concerns about the potential for a broader regional conflict.

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The two spoke again later Tuesday, and the US has acknowledged being briefed following the attack. There was another call Wednesday, and they also spoke Sunday, AP reported citing the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private talks.

The officials said the US did not get advance warning of the second wave of attacks, with walkie-talkie radios targeted Wednesday. At least 37 people were killed, including two children, and some 3,000 wounded in the two days of explosions.

Officials emphasized that the US had no involvement in the attacks and expressed surprise at the details of the operations. The recent strikes on electronic devices seem to be the result of a months-long effort by Israel to target numerous Hezbollah members simultaneously, although civilians were also affected in the process.

Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh on Thursday acknowledged the four calls but did not provide timelines of when they happened. She said the US has not made any changes in its force posture in the region as a result of the recent surge in attacks.

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“During a call Wednesday with Gallant, Austin spoke about regional security developments and reiterated America’s unwavering support for Israel in the face of threats from Iran, Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies in the region,” Singh said.

Austin “emphasized the US commitment to deterring regional adversaries, deescalating tensions across the region, and reaffirmed the priority of reaching a cease-fire deal that would bring home hostages held by Hamas,” she said.

He also pushed for a diplomatic solution that would allow civilians on both sides of Israel's northern border with Lebanon to return to their homes, Singh said.

Also Read: Lebanon Pager Blasts: Israel’s patience runs thin; Is war with Hezbollah imminent now? Explained

Asked about the potential for a US military evacuation of American citizens in Lebanon, Singh said the Pentagon has not gotten a request from the State Department to do that. State did urge US citizens in Lebanon to maintain a low profile and review their security awareness in alerts this week.

State Department and White House officials say there are longstanding contingency plans for the potential evacuation of Americans in Lebanon but they have no information to suggest that those will become operational anytime soon.

“We have evacuation plans available for places all over the world,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Wednesday. “But I wouldn’t lead that to believe that we’re in a moment now where we think we need to imminently call for that or act on that right now.”

Other officials said US Navy ships with Marines on board are already well-positioned in the Mediterranean Sea to assist if asked.

(With inputs from AP)