By Andrea Shalal
REHOBOTH BEACH, Delaware (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called Israel's killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah "a measure of justice" for his many victims, and said Washington fully supported Israel's right to defend itself against Iran-supported groups.
In a statement released by the White House, Biden said he had directed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to further enhance the defense posture of U.S. military forces in the Middle East to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader war.
Ultimately, Biden said, the U.S. aimed to de-escalate ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means.
Israel on Thursday rejected global calls for a ceasefire with the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, defying Washington and pressing ahead with strikes that have killed hundreds in Lebanon and heightened fears of an all-out regional war.
Biden underscored his full-throated support for Israel's strike on Nasrallah, which occurred while Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly and Biden and others were trying to broker a ceasefire deal.
"Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror. His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians," Biden said.
He noted that Nasrallah had also supported Hamas the day after its attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen killed some 1,200 people and abducted about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, Israel's military has leveled swaths of Gaza, driving nearly all of its 2.3 million people from their homes, giving rise to deadly hunger and disease and killing more than 41,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Biden administration officials have pushed unsuccessfully for months to end the Gaza war, and more recently, to halt the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which flared after hand-held radios and pagers used by Hezbollah detonated, killing dozens and injuring nearly 3,000.
"The United States fully supports Israel's right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups," Biden said. He said the U.S. was seeking diplomatic solutions to end the conflicts, but stopped short of any criticism of Israel's actions.
"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," he said in a statement issued as he vacationed in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
RISK OF BROADER WAR
The escalation has increased fears the conflict could spin out of control, potentially drawing in Iran, Hezbollah's principal backer, as well as the U.S.
Biden told reporters on Friday, before Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah's death, that the U.S. had no knowledge of or participation in the Israeli military action that killed the militant leader.
Over 600 people have been killed in Lebanon since Monday.
Biden did not address the civilian deaths or comments from Iranian officials saying Nasrallah's death would be avenged.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who was in California for two campaign fundraisers, echoed Biden's support for Nasrallah's killing in a separate statement and reiterated her "unwavering" commitment to the security of Israel.
"President Biden and I do not want to see conflict in the Middle East escalate into a broader regional war," the Democratic presidential candidate said. "Diplomacy remains the best path forward to protect civilians and achieve lasting stability in the region."
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal in Rehoboth Beach and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Paul Simao)
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