President Biden says Nasrallah killing is ‘justice’ for victims of Hezbollah
President Biden called the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah “a measure of justice” for his victims – and said that the US “fully supports” Israel’s move to defend itself against the Iran-backed terror group.
“Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror,” Biden, 81, said in a statement released by the White House Saturday afternoon.
“His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians.”
The US “fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself” against Hezbollah and other “Iranian-supported terrorist groups,” Biden added.
“The strike that killed Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas’s massacre on October 7, 2023,” he noted, referring to the terror attack on southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people.
“Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a ‘northern front’ against Israel.”
The US hopes to de-escalate the conflicts with both Hezbollah and Hamas through diplomatic means, Biden said.
The US is actively pursuing a ceasefire deal for Gaza backed by the UN Security Council, and is also negotiating terms that would allow civilians to safely return to their homes in northern Israel and southern Lebanon, he said.
“It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability,” Biden insisted.
Biden’s statement was released shortly after a report by Israel’s Channel 12 indicated that US officials felt blindsided by Israel’s Friday announcement about the strikes on Beirut that ultimately killed Nasrallah.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer were weighing whether or not to proceed with the operation, they were also in talks with the Biden administration over a potential ceasefire in Lebanon, diplomatic correspondent Dana Weiss said.
The unfinished deal was announced on Thursday by France and US, who allegedly had no idea about Israel’s plans to target Nasrallah.
“From their point of view, they felt played,” Weiss said of the Americans’ response to news about the Beirut strikes.
Israel continued to launch airstrikes on the Beirut area after Nasrallah’s death was confirmed.
Separately, the US State Department announced Saturday afternoon, that it was ordering the departure of family members of employees working at the US mission in Lebanon and nonessential workers.
The State Department cited the “volatile and unpredictable security situation in Beirut,” as the Middle East and the rest of the world braces for possible reprisals on Israel.
The travel advisory on Lebanon for Americans is still at a Level 4, or “do not go there.”
