Biden and Harris call Israeli attack that kills Hezbollah’s Nasrallah a ‘measure of justice’ – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

The Israeli attack that killed Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah was a “measure of justice” for the victims of a four-decade “reign of terror,” President Joe Biden said on Saturday.

The comments came after the Lebanese Hezbollah group confirmed earlier Saturday that Nasrallah, one of the group’s founders, had been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut the day before.

Biden noted that the operation to eliminate Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with the massacre of Israelis by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

“Nasrallah made the fateful decision the next day to join forces with Hamas and open what he called a ‘northern front’ against Israel,” Biden said in a statement.

He also noted that Hezbollah under Nasrallah’s watch has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese.

Hezbollah’s attacks against U.S. interests include the 1983 truck bombing of the U.S. embassy and multinational barracks in Beirut and the kidnapping of the head of Beirut’s central intelligence service, who died while being held captive. The US said Hezbollah leaders armed and trained militias that carried out attacks on US troops during the Iraq war.

The White House sees Nasrallah’s death as a huge blow to the group. At the same time, the government has tried to tread carefully to prevent Israel’s war with Hamas, which like Hezbollah is backed by Iran, from turning into a full-scale regional conflict.

The White House and Pentagon were quick to say publicly on Friday, shortly after the attack, that Israel had given no advance warning of the operation.

“President Biden and I do not want the conflict in the Middle East to escalate into a broader regional war,” Vice President Kamala Harris said Saturday in a statement that echoed Biden’s description of a “measure of justice.” She added: “Diplomacy remains the best path to protect citizens and achieve lasting stability in the region.”

The confirmation of Nasrallah’s death comes in a week that began with Biden’s top national security aides working on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly to build support for a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which they hoped it could also breathe new life into stalled weapons. attempts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a defiant speech to the United Nations on Friday, vowing to continue operations against Hezbollah until tens of thousands of Israeli civilians displaced by rocket attacks can return home. Shortly afterwards, Israel carried out the attack that killed Nasrallah.

Biden reiterated on Saturday that he wants to see a ceasefire, both in Gaza and between Israel and Hezbollah.

“It is time for these deals to be closed, for the threats to Israel to be removed and for the broader Middle East region to achieve greater stability,” Biden said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of supporting the assassination of Nasrallah and dozens of others.

“The world community will not forget that the order for the terrorist attack was issued from New York and that the Americans cannot escape complicity with the Zionists,” Pezeshkian said in a statement read on Iranian state television.

The State Department on Saturday ordered the departure of the families of US diplomats not employed at the embassy in Beirut and authorized the departure of those who are, as well as non-essential workers due to “the volatile and unpredictable security situation ” in the capital of Lebanon. .

The State Department previously advised U.S. citizens to leave Lebanon and reiterated its warning against all travel to the country.

“Due to increased volatility following airstrikes in Beirut and the volatile and unpredictable security situation throughout Lebanon, the U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to leave Lebanon while commercial options remain available,” the department said in a statement Saturday.

The State Department routinely orders or authorizes the departure of non-essential embassy personnel and the families of diplomats when security conditions deteriorate in the country where they are stationed.

An ordered departure is not technically an evacuation, but it does require those affected to leave. With an authorized departure, those affected can leave the country voluntarily at government expense.

Biden, who spent the weekend at his vacation home in Delaware, and Harris, who was campaigning in California, had a phone call with national security officials on Saturday to discuss the situation in the Middle East.

The president directed the Pentagon on Friday to assess and adjust as necessary U.S. forces in the region to enhance deterrence, ensure force protection and support the full range of U.S. objectives.

He called for the review after the Pentagon announced earlier this week that it would send an unspecified number of additional U.S. troops to the region amid rising tensions.

Hezbollah’s leader vowed to continue daily attacks on Israel.