ADDS DETAILS THROUGHOUT
By Diyar Guldogan
WASHINGTON (AA) - The US did not have "advanced warning" of the recent Israeli strike in Lebanon's Beirut, Pentagon said on Friday.
"The United States was not involved in this operation, and we had no advanced warning," Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told the reporters.
Her remarks came after the Israeli army on Friday evening carried out a heavy and unprecedented airstrike on Beirut's southern suburb area, claiming to have attacked the main headquarters of Lebanese group Hezbollah.
Singh said that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant "as the operation was already underway."
The US is "still assessing" the event, Singh said, adding she does not have any additional information or any further specifics to provide.
Meanwhile, a White House official said President Joe Biden was briefed on the strikes in Beirut by his national security team.
- US 'still gathering information'
When asked whether Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is alive, she said: "I don't have any information on the strike itself. We're still gathering information, as this just happened a few hours ago."
Austin urges for a diplomatic solution, which "is the best path forward," she said, reiterating that the US wants to see tensions quell in the region.
Singh also said that there is "no force posture changes to announce at this time."
Israel has pounded Lebanon since Monday morning, killing over 700 people and injuring nearly 2,200 others, according to figures released by the Lebanese Health Ministry.
The ministry also said that the death toll in Lebanon since last October is 1,540, in addition to more than 77,000 displaced from southern and eastern parts of the country.
Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed more than 41,500 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7.
The international community has warned against the strikes on Lebanon, as they raise the specter of turning the Gaza conflict into a regional war.