WASHINGTON (AP) — Israel warned U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a call Tuesday that a military operation was going to take place in Lebanon but gave no details, U.S. officials said Thursday. The same day of the call, in an attack widely blamed on Israel, thousands of pagers belonging to Hezbollah militants exploded.

The call was one of four between Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant this week as attacks have spiked between Israel and Hezbollah, into a wider regional war.

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