Biden and Harris call the Israeli strike killing Hezbollah’s Nasrallah a ‘measure of justice’

Aamer Madhani and Matthew Lee, Associated Press

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. (AP) — The Israeli onslaught that killed Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah was a “measure of justice” for victims of a four-decade “reign of terror,” President Joe Biden said Saturday.

The comments came aft Lebanon’s Hezbollah group confirmed earlier Saturday that Nasrallah, 1 of nan group’s founders, was killed successful an Israeli airstrike successful Beirut nan erstwhile day.

Biden noted that nan cognition to return retired Nasrallah took spot successful nan broader discourse of nan conflict that began pinch Hamas’ massacre of Israelis connected Oct. 7, 2023.

“Nasrallah, nan adjacent day, made nan fateful determination to subordinate hands pinch Hamas and unfastened what he called a ‘northern front’ against Israel,” Biden said successful a statement.

He besides noted that Hezbollah nether Nasrallah’s watch has been responsible for nan deaths of thousands of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese.

Hezbollah attacks against U.S. interests see nan motortruck bombing of nan U.S. Embassy and multinational unit barracks successful Beirut successful 1983 and nan kidnapping of nan Central Intelligence Agency main of position successful Beirut, who died while held captive. The U.S. said Hezbollah leaders equipped and trained militias that carried retired attacks connected American forces during nan warfare successful Iraq.

The White House sees nan decease of Nasrallah arsenic a immense rustle to nan group. At nan aforesaid time, nan management has sought to tread cautiously arsenic it has tried to incorporate Israel’s warfare pinch Hamas, which, for illustration Hezbollah, is backed by Iran, from exploding into an all-out location conflict.

The White House and Pentagon were speedy connected Friday, soon aft nan strike, to opportunity publically that Israel offered it nary forewarning of nan operation.

“President Biden and I do not want to spot conflict successful nan Middle East escalate into a broader location war,” Vice President Kamala Harris said successful a connection Saturday that echoed Biden’s explanation of a “measure of justice.” She added, “Diplomacy remains nan champion way guardant to protect civilians and execute lasting stableness successful nan region.”

The confirmation of Nasrallah’s decease comes during a week that began pinch Biden’s apical nationalist information aides moving connected nan sidelines of nan U.N. General Assembly to build support for a 21-day Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire that they hoped mightiness besides respire caller life into stalled efforts to unafraid a truce successful Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a defiant reside Friday to nan United Nations, vowing to support up operations against Hezbollah until tens of thousands of Israeli citizens displaced by rocket attacks tin return home. Shortly after, Israel carried retired nan onslaught sidesplitting Nasrallah.

Biden reiterated connected Saturday that he wants to spot cease-fires some successful Gaza and betwixt Israel and Hezbollah.

“It is clip for these deals to close, for nan threats to Israel to beryllium removed, and for nan broader Middle East region to summation greater stability,” Biden said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused nan United States of supporting nan sidesplitting that took retired Nasrallah and dozens of others.

“The world organization will not hide that nan bid of nan violent onslaught was issued from New York and nan Americans cannot absolve themselves from complicity pinch nan Zionists,” Pezeshkian was quoted arsenic saying successful a connection publication connected Iranian authorities television.

The State Department connected Saturday ordered nan departure of nan families of U.S. diplomats who are not employed by nan embassy successful Beirut and authorized nan departure of those who are, arsenic good arsenic nonessential labor because of “the volatile and unpredictable information situation” successful Lebanon’s capital.

The State Department has antecedently advised American citizens to see leaving Lebanon and reiterated its informing against each recreation to nan country.

“Due to nan accrued volatility pursuing airstrikes wrong Beirut and nan volatile and unpredictable information business passim Lebanon, nan U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to depart Lebanon while commercialized options still stay available,” nan section said successful a connection Saturday.

The State Department routinely orders aliases authorizes nan departure of nonessential embassy staffers and nan families of diplomats erstwhile information conditions deteriorate successful nan state wherever they are posted.

An ordered departure is not technically an removal but does require those affected to leave. An authorized departure allows those affected to time off nan state voluntarily astatine authorities expense.

Biden, who was spending nan play astatine his picnic location successful Delaware, and Harris, who was campaigning successful California, held a telephone pinch nationalist information aides connected Saturday to talk nan business successful nan Middle East.

The president connected Friday directed nan Pentagon to measure and set arsenic basal nan U.S. unit posture successful nan region to heighten deterrence, guarantee unit protection and support nan afloat scope of U.S. objectives.

He called for nan appraisal aft nan Pentagon earlier successful nan week announced it was sending an unspecified number of further U.S. troops to nan region because of rising tensions.

President Joe Biden speaks nan the media aft stepping disconnected Air Force One astatine Dover Air Force Base successful Delaware, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, to walk nan play astatine his formation location successful Rehoboth Beach, Del. | Susan Walsh, Associated Press