Israeli Operation in Lebanon Sparks Tensions, US Officials Caught Off Guard

Israeli officials informed the US of an impending operation in Lebanon on Tuesday but did not disclose any details about the plan, leaving American officials unaware of the specifics until reports of explosions emerged. The notification came during a call between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant early Tuesday morning.

The operation, which involved a coordinated effort by Israel’s intelligence service, Mossad, and the Israeli military, resulted in explosions from hundreds of pagers in Lebanon. The Lebanese government has condemned the incident as “criminal Israeli aggression.”

On Wednesday, walkie-talkies also detonated in a fresh round of explosions in Lebanon, according to a security source. The responsibility for these latest explosions remains unclear, and it is unknown whether the US was informed in advance.

The timing of Tuesday’s explosions was notable, occurring while Secretary of State Antony Blinken was en route from Washington to Cairo. The breaking news stunned US diplomats, who saw the reports on their airplane TVs. This incident is not the first instance of Israeli actions coinciding with Blinken’s visits to the Middle East, but it has intensified concerns about regional escalation, which the US has been striving to prevent.

In response, Blinken stated that the US “did not know about nor was it involved in these incidents.” The US also communicated to Iran through a back channel that it had no involvement in the attack and urged Tehran not to escalate tensions. Iranian state media reported that Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon was injured in the explosions.

Later on Tuesday, Gallant and Austin had another conversation after it became clear that the explosions had resulted in significant casualties among Hezbollah members. Details of this follow-up discussion have not been disclosed.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre clarified that the US was not aware of the specific nature of the explosions in advance, noting that the prior notification from Israel was broad and lacked details.

Since Hamas’ attack on October 7, Israel has frequently conducted strikes in Lebanon in retaliation for Hezbollah drone and missile launches, and has targeted senior Hamas officials based there. The ongoing operations have raised questions about Israel’s future plans in Lebanon.