President Joe Biden praised the assassination on Friday of Hezbollah terrorist chief Hassan Nasrallah in a targeted airstrike by the Israeli Air Force.
“Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
“His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians.
“The strike that killed Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas’s massacre on October 7, 2023. Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a “northern front” against Israel.
“The United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups.
“Just yesterday, I directed my Secretary of Defense to further enhance the defense posture of US military forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war,” Biden said, but added that ultimately, he aims to “de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means.”
Biden noted that American officials have been pursuing a deal backed by the UN Security Council for a ceasefire and the release of hostages from Gaza, and in Lebanon, US envoy Amos Hochstein has been negotiating a deal “that would return people safely to their homes in Israel and southern Lebanon.”
Biden added, “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.”
