Had no prior knowledge of Israel’s strike on Beirut: United States

The United States had no prior knowledge of the Beirut strike, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters on Friday (September 27). He added that he was on a call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant while the strike was underway.

“I know that you’re seeing reports of a significant strike in Beirut today. I spoke by phone earlier with my counterpart in Israel, Minister Gallant. The United States was not involved in Israel’s operation. We had no advance warning. My call with Minister Gallant took place while the operation was actually already underway,” Austin said.

According to Lebanon’s health ministry, the Israeli airstrikes on Friday killed two people and injured 76 others.

The Israeli military said it had carried out a “precise strike” on Hezbollah’s headquarters which it said were “embedded under residential buildings in the heart of the Dahiyeh in Beirut.”

Friday’s attack was far more powerful, with multiple blasts shaking windows across the city, recalling Israeli airstrikes during the war it fought with Hezbollah in 2006.

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