President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris expressed support despite threats of regional war.
American political leaders have rallied behind Israel after a massive Israeli airstrike in Beirut destroyed residential buildings and killed powerful Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris (all Democrats), and Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed support for Friday’s attack despite the expected significant civilian death toll. did. Former Republican President Donald Trump does not yet appear to have commented on Nasrallah’s killing.
“Hassan Nasrallah and his terrorist organization, Hezbollah, are responsible for killing hundreds of Americans during their 40-year reign of terror,” Biden said in a news release Saturday. “His death in an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians.”
The Biden administration has sought to ease tensions in the region, but has shown little interest in leveraging measures such as halting arms sales to rein in Israel following a series of escalating attacks in Lebanon in recent weeks. Israel ignored calls for a diplomatic agreement and vowed to continue its attacks.
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, said in a statement Saturday that “neither President Biden nor I want the conflicts in the Middle East to escalate into a broader regional war.” “Diplomacy remains the best path to protecting civilians and achieving lasting stability in the region.”
Since September 16, Israeli attacks inside Lebanon have killed at least 1,030 people, including 56 women and 87 children. The final death toll from the massive Israeli military attack that killed Nasrallah and destroyed several large residential buildings on Friday is still unknown as rescue workers try to find bodies among the rubble. Not yet.
The killing of Nasrallah, which follows a series of killings of senior Hezbollah officials by Israel in recent weeks, is a blow to the Lebanese group and a network of Iranian-backed groups across the region. It remains unclear what response the group and its allies in the region, including Iran-backed militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen, will pursue.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told Israeli Defense Secretary Yoav Gallant in a phone call Friday that the United States “remains committed to protecting U.S. forces and facilities in the region and is fully committed to the defense of Israel.” .
The Biden administration has been criticized by activists and analysts who say its unconditional support for Israel is likely to lead to a permanent escalation of Israeli attacks, including large numbers of civilian deaths and violations of international law. claims.
President Trump has not yet commented on Nasrallah’s killing, but conservative lawmakers have rejected the Biden administration’s calls for a ceasefire and called for increased support for Israeli operations in Lebanon and Gaza.
“We call on the Biden-Harris administration to end its counterproductive ceasefire call and ongoing diplomatic pressure campaign against Israel,” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement Saturday.