Israel warned the US about the operation in Lebanon, but did not report the pagers.

Israeli authorities warned the United States about a planned operation in Lebanon, during which pagers belonging to Hezbollah militants exploded. According to CNN, Tel Aviv did not disclose details of the operation, limiting itself to an appeal to American colleagues.

The discussion between Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin took place in a phone call on September 17. According to the reports, US officials were not aware of the situation until news broke that pagers exploded during US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's flight to Cairo.

CNN notes that such provocative actions by Israel during Blinken's visits to the Middle East raise concerns about a possible escalation of the conflict. Blinken confirmed that the US had no information about the incidents and did not take part in them, calling for restraint.

On September 17, 2024, pagers used by Hezbollah militants to communicate exploded en masse in Lebanon, according to the AP. Group leader Hassan Nasrallah warned of the possibility of cellphones being used for surveillance and attacks by Israel, resulting in more than 2,700 casualties.

According to Reuters, Israel's foreign intelligence service, Mossad, was involved in the pager explosions.