US denies involvement in pager attack on Hezbollah

Israel did not give US advance notice of mass pager attack on Hezbollah terrorists, Biden administration official says, distancing US from the attack.

By World Israel News Staff

The Biden administration on Tuesday distanced itself from the apparent mass pager bombing attack, attributed to Israel, against thousands of members of the Iranian-backed Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah, claiming that the U.S. was neither involved in the attack nor did the U.S. have any prior knowledge of it.

Speaking with reporters at a press briefing Tuesday, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the administration was still looking into the attacks, but emphasized that the U.S. played no role in them, adding that Israel did not disclose its plans to the administration prior to the attack.

“We are gathering information on this incident,” Matthew said. “I can tell you that the U.S. was not involved in it, the U.S. was not aware of this incident in advance.”

“We’re collecting information in the same way that journalists are across the world to gather the facts about what might have happened.”

Miller expressed concern the attack could lead to greater escalations between Israel on one hand and Hezbollah and Iran on the other, and called on all parties to reach a “diplomatic solution.”

“We are always concerned about any type of event that may cause further escalation. And it remains our message to both Israel and to other parties that they need to do everything they can to try and reach a diplomatic resolution.”

Reiterating the Biden administration’s support for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Miller said an agreement between Israel and Hamas could pave the way for a “resolution” on Israel’s northern border.

“Go back to the fundamental issue we face here which is very difficult to get a diplomatic resolution in the north absent a resolution to the conflict in Gaza, absent a ceasefire in Gaza, which is why we continue to push for that ceasefire because we think it’ll help make it much easier to reach a resolution.”