White House says US not involved 'in any way' in Lebanon explosions

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The White House denied on Wednesday any role in a spate of explosive attacks in Lebanon that targeted thousands of communication devices for two straight days, killing at least 26 people and maiming 3,250.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the US was "not involved in yesterday's incidents or today's in any way.”

No party has claimed responsibility, but the attacks have again raised the specter of an all-out war between Hezbollah and Israel. Many of the devices, which have included pagers and walkie-talkies, were used by members of Hezbollah, which operates as both a paramilitary and political group with vast social services in Lebanon.

It is "too soon to know what these incidents are going to mean to the already high tensions between Israel and Hezbollah up at that border," said Kirby.

"All I can tell you is, as recently as a couple of days ago, Amos Hochstein, our envoy, was in the region having discussions to do everything we can from a diplomatic perspective to prevent those tensions from escalating into all-out conflict," he added.

The explosions come amid months of cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel against the backdrop of a brutal Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 41,300 people, mostly women and children.

The war was precipitated by the Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas on Israel in which 1,189 people were killed and roughly 250 others taken to Gaza as hostages.