US Had No Prior Knowledge of Deadly Pager Attack in Lebanon, says Blinken

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken stated that the United States had no prior knowledge of a recent attack involving pagers in Lebanon and was not involved in the incident. Speaking at a news conference in Cairo alongside Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Blinken emphasized that the U.S. is currently gathering information and stressed the importance of all parties avoiding actions that could escalate the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The attack, which occurred yesterday, resulted in the deaths of at least 12 people and injured thousands more in Lebanon. The assault targeted Hezbollah members through explosive devices placed in their pagers, a method that has drawn significant attention and concern. Hezbollah, a Lebanese terrorist group supported by Iran, has accused Israel of orchestrating the operation. U.S. and other officials have confirmed that Israel planted explosives in hundreds of pagers, although Israel has not publicly commented on the attack.

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The explosions, which took place in various locations including sidewalks, grocery stores, homes, and cars, have intensified fears of a potential escalation in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. The incident has shocked Lebanon and revealed a level of technological sophistication that has left analysts debating its strategic impact.

Despite the disruption caused to Hezbollah, which has been one of the most formidable anti-Israel forces in the region, the group has vowed to continue its cross-border strikes against Israel. This stance is in solidarity with Hamas, the Palestinian group with which Hezbollah has aligned since last October.

Needless  to say, the blasts have exposed Hezbollah's vulnerability. It has also shined forth a light on the ability of Israel's intelligence agencies and their ability to penetrate within enemy organizations. Hezbollah's operatives started using pagers in the aftermath of October 7th, when the Hezbollah chief warned that the Israelis had penetrated their cellphone network. The fact that US had no prior knowledge of the attack, implies that US has been unable to penetrate Israel's intelligence agencies.