Biden, Harris call Israeli killing of Hezbollah's Nasrallah 'measure of justice'

REHOBOTH BEACH, Delaware — 

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 radical confirmed earlier Saturday that Nasrallah, 1 of the group's founders, was killed successful an Israeli airstrike successful Beirut the erstwhile day.

Biden noted that the cognition to instrumentality retired Nasrallah took spot successful the broader discourse of the struggle that began with Hamas' massacre of Israelis connected October 7, 2023.

"Nasrallah, the adjacent day, made the fateful determination to articulation hands with Hamas and unfastened what helium called a 'northern front' against Israel," Biden said successful a statement.

He besides noted that Hezbollah nether Nasrallah's ticker has been liable for the deaths of thousands of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese.

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

The White House sees the decease of Nasrallah arsenic a immense stroke to Hezbollah. At the aforesaid time, the medication has sought to tread cautiously arsenic it has tried to incorporate Israel's warfare with Hamas, which, similar Hezbollah, is backed by Iran, from exploding into an all-out determination conflict.

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

"President Biden and I bash not privation to spot struggle successful the Middle East escalate into a broader determination war," Vice President Kamala Harris said successful a connection Saturday that echoed Biden's statement of a "measure of justice." She added, "diplomacy remains the champion way guardant to support civilians and execute lasting stableness successful the region."

The confirmation of Nasrallah's decease comes during a week that began with Biden's apical nationalist information aides moving connected the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to physique enactment for a 21-day Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire that they hoped mightiness besides respire caller beingness into stalled efforts to unafraid a truce successful Gaza.

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

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

"It is clip for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to beryllium removed, and for the broader Middle East portion to summation greater stability," Biden said.

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

"The satellite assemblage volition not hide that the bid of the violent onslaught was issued from New York and the Americans cannot absolve themselves from complicity with the Zionists," Pezeshkian was quoted arsenic saying successful a connection work connected Iranian authorities television.