President Joe Biden said on Saturday that the Israeli raid that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was an “act of justice” for the victims of his four-decade “reign of terror.”
The statements came after the Lebanese Hezbollah group confirmed earlier on Saturday that Nasrallah, one of the group’s founders, had been killed in an Israeli air strike in Beirut the previous day.
Biden noted that the operation to eliminate Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with the Hamas massacre against Israelis on October 7, 2023.
Biden said in a statement: “The next day, Nasrallah made the fateful decision to cooperate with Hamas and open what he called the ‘Northern Front’ against Israel.”
He also noted that Hezbollah, under Nasrallah’s watch, was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese.
Hezbollah’s attacks against US interests include the 1983 truck bombing of the US Embassy and MNF barracks in Beirut and the kidnapping of the CIA station chief in Beirut, who died in custody. The United States said that Hezbollah leaders armed and trained militias that carried out attacks on American forces during the war in Iraq.
The White House sees Nasrallah’s death as a strong blow to the party. At the same time, the administration has sought to tread carefully as it attempts to contain Israel’s war with Hamas, which, like Hezbollah, is supported by Iran, and prevent it from exploding into a full-blown regional conflict.
On Friday, shortly after the raid, the White House and Pentagon were quick to say publicly that Israel had given them no advance warning about the operation.
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“President Biden and I do not want to see the conflict in the Middle East escalate into a broader regional war,” Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement on Saturday that echoed Biden’s description of “an act of justice.” She added: “Diplomacy remains the best way forward to protect civilians and achieve lasting stability in the region.”
Confirmation of Nasrallah’s death comes during a week that began with Biden’s top national security aides working on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to rally support for a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which they hoped would breathe new life into the stalled atmosphere. Efforts to reach a truce in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a defiant speech Friday to the United Nations, pledging to continue operations against Hezbollah so that tens of thousands of Israeli citizens displaced by rocket attacks can return to their homes. Shortly after, Israel carried out the raid that killed Nasrallah.
Biden confirmed on Saturday that he wants to see a ceasefire in Gaza and between Israel and Hezbollah.
“It is time to conclude these deals, to remove the threats facing Israel, and for the broader Middle East region to enjoy greater stability,” Biden said.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of supporting the killing operation that killed Nasrallah and dozens of others.
“The international community will not forget that the order for the terrorist strike came from New York, and the Americans cannot exempt themselves from collusion with the Zionists,” Pezeshkian was quoted as saying in a statement read by Iranian state television.
The State Department on Saturday ordered the departure of families of US diplomats who do not work at the embassy in Beirut and allowed the departure of those who do, as well as nonessential staff due to the “turbulent and unpredictable security situation” in the Lebanese capital. .
The State Department previously advised American citizens to consider leaving Lebanon and repeated its warning against traveling to the country.
“Due to the increased volatility following air strikes inside Beirut and the volatile and unpredictable security situation throughout Lebanon, the US Embassy urges US citizens to leave Lebanon while business options are still available,” the department said in a statement on Saturday.
The State Department routinely orders or authorizes the departure of nonessential embassy personnel and families of diplomats when security conditions in the country in which they work deteriorate.
A departure order is not technically an evacuation but requires those affected to leave. Authorized departure allows affected people to leave the country voluntarily at government expense.
Biden, who was spending the weekend at his vacation home in Delaware, and Harris, who was campaigning in California, held a phone call with national security aides on Saturday to discuss the situation in the Middle East.
On Friday, the President directed the Pentagon to evaluate and adjust America’s force posture in the region as necessary to enhance deterrence, ensure force protection, and support the full range of American objectives.
He called for the assessment after the Pentagon announced earlier in the week that it was sending an unspecified number of additional US troops to the region due to rising tensions.
& Edition 2024 The Canadian Press
