National Security Spokesman John Kirby on Wednesday denied multiple questions about possible U.S. involvement in the explosion of hundreds of electronic devices used by members of Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“We are not involved [Tuesday’s] Incidents and [Wednesday’s] “I will not be speaking further in any way,” Kirby said when asked what he thought about the attack.
Kirby's comments came hours after several explosions were heard in the Lebanese capital Beirut and across the country, which Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV reported was the result of a walkie-talkie detonation.
National Security and Communications Adviser John Kirby spoke at the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC on Wednesday. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
At least nine people were killed and another 300 injured in Wednesday's attack, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
The explosion came just one day after pagers used by hundreds of Hezbollah members exploded across Lebanon and parts of Syria, killing at least 12 people, including two children, and injuring thousands.
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Both attacks are widely believed to be the work of Israel, which has been battling Hezbollah on an almost daily basis since Oct. 8, the day after a deadly Hamas-led attack in southern Israel sparked the start of the war in Gaza.
Since then, attacks have killed hundreds in Lebanon and dozens in Israel, forcing tens of thousands to flee on both sides of the border, which Hezbollah says are in support of its ally Hamas.
Reporters repeatedly pressed Kirby on Wednesday about whether the U.S. was involved in or had advance knowledge of the series of attacks aimed at Hezbollah members.
Kirby reiterated that he had “nothing more to say today.”
“We want to see the war end, and everything we've done from the beginning has been to prevent an escalation of the conflict,” Kirby said. “We still believe there is a diplomatic way forward, especially near Lebanon.”
Hezbollah fighters carry the coffins of four comrades killed in a pager explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussain)
The attack has raised fears that intermittent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah could escalate into all-out war.
“We are at the beginning of a new phase of the war. We need courage, determination and perseverance,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told the Israeli military on Wednesday.
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Gallant did not mention explosive devices but praised the work of the Israeli military and security services, saying “the results are very impressive.”
Hezbollah announced three attacks on parts of northern Israel on Wednesday, at least one of which came after a series of recent explosions in Lebanon.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
