New Delhi: President Joe Biden on Saturday termed the Israeli airstrike that killed Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah a "measure of justice" for four decades of terrorism. Earlier that day, Hezbollah confirmed that Nasrallah, one of its founding leaders, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut the day before.
While describing the operation that killed Nasrallah, Biden said that the operation was part of the broad conflict beginning from the attack by Hamas on Israelis on October 7, 2023. He added that Nasrallah made the critical choice to ally with Hamas and launch a "northern front" against Israel the day after the attack.
Biden Highlights Hezbollah American Casualties
Hezbollah, under the leadership of Nasrallah, killed thousands of American citizens, the presumptive president said. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin was quoted as saying that he briefed Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on the situation in Lebanon and made clear to him that the US is "fully behind Israel's inherent right to self-defense.".
Austin Affirms U.S. Support For Israel's Defense
Austin also tweeted, "I called Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant twice yesterday to get briefed on conditions in Lebanon. I am fully supportive of the right of Israel to defend itself and its citizens against Iranian-backed terrorist gangs."
Austin emphasized that the U.S. has maintained and continues to maintain its commitment to making sure Iran and its allies don't take advantages of the situation or let things escalate. Indeed, he explicitly expressed that the United States stands at full readiness to defend all of its forces and facilities throughout the region and stays committed to the defense of Israel.
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