The United States of America (USA) assisted the Israeli military in monitoring the attack by the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah against Israel on Sunday morning, but did not intervene directly, a senior U.S. defense official said. The same source, quoted by the France Presse (AFP) agency, denied Washington’s involvement in Israel’s attacks in Lebanon on Saturday night, but acknowledged support to the Israeli military during Hezbollah’s retaliation that occurred today.
“The United States was not involved in Israel’s preemptive strikes last night. We provided information, surveillance, and reconnaissance to track attacks coming from Hezbollah,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding that Washington’s assistance in dealing with these bombings “was not necessary.”
Hezbollah began its retaliation today for the assassination of its top commander, Fuad Shukr, launching hundreds of rockets and drones against northern Israel, after nearly a month of tension and with both countries on the brink of open war.
The Lebanese formation (backed by Iran) concluded the operation “for today” and stated that this is a “first phase” of the response to Shukr’s death, who was hit by an Israeli bombing against a building in the southern suburbs of Beirut. The start of Hezbollah’s response came after 72 hours of intense Israeli bombings in various locations in Lebanon, which it described as preemptive strikes.
U.S. President Joe Biden reaffirmed today his support for Israel and advocated for “regional stability” following the escalation of cross attacks between the Tel Aviv Army and the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah.
Biden, who is on a family trip to California, “is closely monitoring developments in Israel and Lebanon” and has ordered senior officials to maintain continuous communication with their Israeli counterparts, said National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett today. “We will continue to support Israel’s right to defend itself and will keep working toward regional stability,” he added.
The U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, has since spoken with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, to “discuss Israel’s defense against Hezbollah attacks,” according to Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder. Lloyd Austin “reaffirmed the United States’ firm commitment to defending Israel against any attack from Iran and its regional partners and proxies,” the spokesperson said.
The crisis between Israel and the Lebanese group is at its highest point since 2006, with daily exchanges of fire in the border regions of both countries since the onset of the war in the Gaza Strip, triggered by an unprecedented attack by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023, leaving around 1,200 dead and taking over two hundred hostages.
In retaliation, Israel launched a large-scale offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has already caused more than 40,000 deaths, mostly civilians, and a humanitarian disaster, destabilizing the entire Middle East region.