Biden says eliminating Nasrallah is a 'measure of justice'

In a statement issued by the White House on Saturday, U.S. President Joe Biden said that Israel’s killing of Hezbollah Sec.-Gen. Hassan Nasrallah was a “measure of justice” for the many people that Hezbollah has murdered.

“Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror,” the statement read. “His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians.”

Biden went on to defend the Israeli airstrike as being conducted “in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas’s massacre on October 7, 2023,” arguing it was a justified response to Nasrallah’s “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,” Biden continued.

Despite supporting the airstrike, Biden said his administration’s “aim is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means.”

“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,” the statement concluded.

Vice President Kamala Harris also issued a statement which expressed a similar message as Biden's, acknowledging that “Hassan Nasrallah was a terrorist with American blood on his hands” and that following his elimination “Hezbollah’s victims have a measure of justice.”

She stated her “unwavering commitment to the security of Israel.”

“I will always support Israel’s right to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis,” Harris continued.

Her statement ended in the same call for deescalation.

“President Biden and I do not want to see conflict in the Middle East escalate into a broader regional war. We have been working on a diplomatic solution along the Israel-Lebanon border so that people can safely return home on both sides of that border. Diplomacy remains the best path forward to protect civilians and achieve lasting stability in the region,” the statement ended.

Hezbollah has fired over 9,000 rockets into Israel since Oct. 8, with more than 60,000 Israelis being displaced from their homes as a result.

Over the past couple of weeks, Israel has responded forcefully to Hezbollah’s aggression, destroying much of the terrorist group's military infrastructure and eliminating many of Hezbollah’s senior leaders.

Israel’s retaliation has predictably drawn heavy criticism from the Iranian regime and its allies.

Responding to the elimination of the Hezbollah leader, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei praised Nasrallah as a martyr, and promised that “the blood of the martyr shall not go unavenged.”