Strike on Hezbollah Deepens Disconnect Between Biden and Netanyahu

Israeli officials gave their American counterparts no advance warning of the strike that killed Hassan Nasrallah, the longtime leader of Hezbollah, according to U.S. officials. But Mr. Biden said the killing was “a measure of justice” for victims of Hezbollah terrorism.

No one inside the White House was crying for Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday. But the Israeli strike that killed Mr. Nasrallah, the longtime leader of Hezbollah, once again deepened tensions between President Biden’s administration and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

Israeli officials gave their American counterparts no advance warning of the strike on Friday, according to U.S. officials, who were already peeved that Mr. Netanyahu brushed off a U.S.-French 21-day cease-fire proposal. Now American officials worry that they face a wider war that could engulf the region after nearly a year of effort by Mr. Biden to head off such an escalation.

In a measured statement on Saturday morning, Mr. Biden expressed satisfaction over the killing of Mr. Nasrallah and noted that Hezbollah was responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over the decades. But he called on the combatants in the region “to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts” and agree to diplomatic deals to end the fighting. He also said that he had ordered U.S. forces in the region to enhance their “defense posture” to deter aggression and to reduce the risk of a broader regional war.

“His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians,” Mr. Biden said of Mr. Nasrallah. He noted that Mr. Nasrallah “made the fateful decision” to open a “northern front” against Israel the day after the Hamas terrorist attack of Oct. 7.

But he emphasized the need for diplomacy to calm the region down. “In Lebanon, we have been negotiating a deal that would return people safely to their homes in Israel and southern Lebanon,” Mr. Biden said. “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.”

Vice President Kamala Harris later issued a statement along similar lines, using the same phrase about a “measure of justice” for Hezbollah’s victims. “Hassan Nasrallah was a terrorist with American blood on his hands,” she said. While emphasizing her “unwavering commitment to the security of Israel,” she echoed Mr. Biden’s call for de-escalation, saying that “diplomacy remains the best path forward.”