US Foreign Minister Says Pager Explosion In Lebanon Could Influence Israeli-Hamas Armistice Negotiations

Israeli military operations in Gaza. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said the United States was still assessing the impact of a series of pagers explosions in Lebanon on efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and prevent a wider regional conflict.

But Foreign Minister Blinken, speaking in Egypt, in which he traveled for talks, said Tuesday's attacks and other sudden attacks recently threatened to "fail" US-led negotiations.

"Many times" when the US and other international mediators believed they were making progress in the ceasefire agreement for the war in Gaza, "we have seen an event that makes the process more difficult, maybe it will thwart it," Foreign Minister Blinken said in response to a question about the explosion in Lebanon., reported AP September 18.

Negotiators, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, have made progress in formulating details of the exchange that will free Israeli, American hostages and other hostages detained by Hamas in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners who are in Israeli custody.

As previously reported, a wave of explosions rocked southern Lebanon, a southern suburb of Beirut known as Dahiyeh and the eastern Bekaa Valley, all of which were Hezbollah's strongholds, on Tuesday.

"We consider Israel's enemies to be fully responsible for this criminal aggression," Hezbollah said in a statement late Tuesday.

"These dangerous and criminal enemies will surely receive commensurate retaliation for this sinful aggression, both from places that are taken into account and those that are not taken into account," the statement added.

Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad said the death toll had increased to 12, while another 2,750 were injured with 200 of them in critical condition.

Later, the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad was said to have installed explosives on 5,000 pagers ordered by Hezbollah a few months earlier. On Tuesday, the explosion occurred at about 3,000 pagers.

Foreign Minister Blinken himself denied Washington was aware of plans for a blastwave in Lebanon, citing The Times of Israel.

According to news website Axios, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin minutes before the attack, saying Israel would carry out operations in Lebanon, but did not provide details.