Israel warned U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin by telephone on Tuesday that a military operation was taking place in Lebanon, but gave no details, U.S. officials said Thursday. On the same day of the call, in an attack widely attributed to Israel, thousands of Bpers belonging to Hezbollah militiamen.
The call was one of four between Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant this week at a time when attacks between Israel and Hezbollah have intensified, fueling fears that they could lead to a regional war. wider.
Austin and Gallant spoke again later Tuesday. There was another call on Wednesday, and they also spoke on Sunday, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. The United States has acknowledged having been informed after the attack.
The officials said Washington received no advance warning of the second wave of attacks on Wednesday, in which walkie-talkie radios were targeted. At least 37 people were killed, including two children, and some 3,000 were injured in the two days of explosions.
The officials stressed that the United States played no role in the attacks and declared themselves surprised by the details of the operations.
This week’s attacks on electronic devices appeared to be the culmination of a months-long operation by Israel to attack as many Hezbollah members as possible simultaneously, but they also harmed civilians.
Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman, acknowledged Thursday that the four calls took place, but did not provide a timeline for when they occurred. He said the United States has not made any changes to the position of its forces in the region as a result of the recent increase in attacks.
During a phone call Wednesday with Gallant, Austin discussed regional security developments and reiterated Washington’s unwavering support for Israel in the face of threats from Iran, Hezbollah and other Iranian allies in the region, Singh said.
Austin emphasized the United States’ commitment to deter regional adversaries, reduce tensions throughout the region, and reaffirmed the priority of reaching a ceasefire agreement that allows the return home of the hostages held by Hams. I added.