A senior U.S. official has confirmed to Fox News that Israel is behind the explosions of pagers used by members of Hezbollah in Lebanon as fresh blasts are being reported in Beirut.
Near-simultaneous detonations of pagers used by those belonging to the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group killed at least 12 people, including two children, and wounded nearly 3,000 on Tuesday.
The development comes as multiple blasts were heard in Beruit on Wednesday during a funeral for Hezbollah members and a child that were killed in Tuesday’s explosions, according to The Associated Press.
Hezbollah’s Al Manar TV reported explosions in multiple areas of Lebanon, which it said were the result of walkie-talkies detonating.
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The U.S. Embassy in Beirut later issued a message saying that “Following the explosion of communications devices in Lebanon on September 17 and September 18, the U.S. Embassy reminds U.S. citizens to exercise security awareness of their surroundings, maintain a low profile, and take appropriate measures to ensure their safety and security.
“The widespread nature of ongoing events has led to reduced availability of bedspace in hospitals, limited access to doctors, and has resulted in a general reduction in routine care at medical facilities. Until the situation stabilizes, U.S. citizens should anticipate limited availability of medical care in Lebanon, most notably in the city of Beirut,” the message added. “The U.S. Embassy further reminds all U.S. citizens to avoid all travel to Lebanon due to safety and security concerns. ”
Hezbollah also is claiming Wednesday to have attacked Israeli artillery positions with rockets in the wake of the blasts, Reuters reports.
An American official told the AP that Israel briefed the United States after Tuesday’s attack, in which small amounts of explosives hidden in pagers were detonated. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the information publicly.
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When asked this morning about Tuesday’s pager explosions, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said “the United States, did not know about, nor was it involved in, these incidents.”
“And we’re still gathering, the information and gathering the facts. Broadly speaking, we’ve been very clear, and we remain very clear about the importance of all parties avoiding any steps that could further escalate the conflict that we’re trying to resolve in Gaza,” Blinken added. “To see it spread to other fronts. It’s clearly not in the interest of anyone involved to see that happen. And that’s why, again, it’s imperative that all parties refrain from any actions that could escalate the conflict.”
The Israel Defense Forces also announced Wednesday that troops in its Northern Command are continuing “offensive and defensive activity.”
“This week, two brigade-level exercises of the 179th and 769th Brigades took place. The exercises, which focused on readiness for terrain in the north, included simulating operations in enemy territory, evacuating wounded from the field under fire, the operations of the various headquarters, and defending the northern region,” it said.
Fox News’ Stephen Sorace, Thomas Ferraro and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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