Before pager blasts, Israel told US about 'Lebanon operation': Top updates

Amid the tensions over pager explosions in Lebanon on Tuesday, US officials said that they were warned by Israel of a military operation in the region but not given any specifics

The day thousands of pagers, used by militant group Hezbollah, exploded across Lebanon, Israel had warned the United States that a military operation was going to take place in Lebanon but gave no details, officials said on Thursday. The explosions resulted in at least nine deaths and 3,000 injuries and were followed by more blasts in walkie-talkies and solar systems the next day, leading to more casualties.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke on Tuesday first and then on three more occasions amid concerns that the latest escalation can lead to wider tensions in West Asia. The US has said that it played no role in the attacks and that they were surprised by the specifics of the operations.

Pagers are small electronic devices that rely on radio signals for communication. Hezbollah was using them to avoid getting tracked by Israel.

Updates on what’s happening in West Asia

1) Meanwhile, Hezbollah has vowed retaliation as it blamed Israel for the attacks. Though Israel has not officially confirmed its role, a New York Times report has claimed that it was indeed behind the whole operation and was planning it since 2022. This means that Israel’s alleged Lebanon operation commenced a year before the Gaza conflict erupted, the current source of the heightened tensions in the region.

2) On Thursday evening, Hezbollah and Israel also launched attacks on each other after the chief of militant group, Hassan Nasrallah, described the attack as a severe blow and promised to retaliate. 

3) To be clear, while Israel has not confirmed its involvement, it has not denied it either. In relation to Thursday’s attack, Israel stated that it targeted dozens of missile launchers and other Hezbollah infrastructure. Reports indicated that Israeli warplanes were flying low over Beirut while Hezbollah chief Nasrallah was speaking, breaking the sound barrier and causing chaos in the region.

4) With Hezbollah’s greater participation in the conflict, Iran, which backs the militant group, may also get involved. Hence, during the US-Israel talks, Austin emphasised the US support for Israel while making efforts to strike a hostage deal with Hamas, the militant group engaged in the Gaza war with Israel.

5) While the US has not yet announced any military evacuation plan of its citizens in Lebanon, they have been cautioned to keep a low profile. Officials said US Navy ships with Marines on board are already well-positioned in the Mediterranean Sea to assist if asked.