President Joe Biden on Saturday praised the Israeli airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, referring to it as a “measure of justice.”
In a statement, Biden highlighted the significance of Nasrallah’s killing in the broader conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, which started on October 7, 2023, when the terrorist group carried out a brutal assault on Israeli civilians and others.
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“Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a “‘northern front’ against Israel,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
Nasrallah, the co-founder of the Hezbollah, headed the organization for almost four decades. Under his leadership, the group carried out numerous attacks against Israel, the United States, and other Western nations. He had deep ties to the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the organization functions as an arm of the nation’s military.
“He also noted that Hezbollah under Nasrallah’s watch has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans,” according to The Associated Press:
Hezbollah attacks against U.S. interests include the truck bombing of the U.S. Embassy and multinational force barracks in Beirut in 1983 and the kidnapping of the Central Intelligence Agency chief of stati on in Beirut, who died while held captive. The U.S. said Hezbollah leaders armed and trained militias that carried out attacks on American forces during the war in Iraq.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a precise strike on Hezbollah’s headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, on Friday, targeting the organization’s central command structure. The headquarters was located in a residential area, meaning the terrorist group was using civilians as human shields – a common practice among anti-Israel terrorist groups:
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On Friday, reports emerged of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) attacking Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon. The goal was reportedly the un-aliving of Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
The Israeli Defense Forces carried out a “precise strike” on the central headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon, the IDF announced Friday.
IDF spokesperson Rear admiral Daniel Hagari said the headquarters were intentionally built in the heart of the Dahieh in Beirut under residential buildings “as part of Hezbollah’s strategy of using Lebanese people as human shields.”
Video and images show plumes of smoke rising over Beirut following the Israeli strikes. Witnesses say they heard multiple strikes.
Fox News has learned the target of the attack was Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Note the report states that, as is their usual practice, the Hezbollah headquarters was set up amongst residential buildings; once again, we see Hezbollah using Lebanese civilians as human shields and propaganda targets.
Nasrallah’s demise marks a pivotal moment in the broader Middle Eastern conflict, which has serious implications for Hezbollah and the Iranian regime:
Nasrallah’s atomization and the ongoing Israeli campaign against Hezbollah that has either killed or chased underground anyone who might be construed as a leader in Hezbollah opens a vital window for someone else to fill the power vacuum.
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The strike also suggests a shift in Israel’s approach to Hezbollah and other enemies. The IDF has eliminated a large swath of the terrorist group’s senior leadership over recent weeks, indicating a larger effort to dismantle the group’s command structure.
Iran might also feel more pressure to involve itself further in the current conflict. Since the start of the Gaza war, Iran has engaged in saber rattling, threatening to escalate military action against Israel. With Hezbollah reeling from the loss of its leader and Israel continuing to decimate Hamas, the region could be on the brink of a bigger conflict. Tehran’s next move could indicate whether this happens or whether there might be a drawing down of military hostilities.