President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he plans to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The conversation comes amid rising tensions and violence in the Middle East, which Biden emphasized needs to be avoided. “It has to be," Biden told reporters as he boarded Air Force One for Washington. “We really have to avoid it.”
The president’s statements come as Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon killed dozens of people on Sunday. He would not say when he planned to speak with Netanyahu. Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon resulted in numerous casualties on Sunday, including the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
The Iran-backed group has suffered significant blows to its command structure from Israel's ongoing attacks.
Tens of thousands of Israelis and Lebanese have been forced to evacuate near the Israel-Lebanon border as Hezbollah has launched near-daily rocket volleys at Israel over the past 11 months and Israel has countered with its own strikes. With tens of thousands of civilians displaced on both sides, the Biden administration has tried to bring about a negotiated resolution that would allow them to return home and prevent a wider regional conflict.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby confirmed that Israel has significantly weakened Hezbollah's leadership through recent airstrikes. However, he cautioned that Hezbollah would likely attempt to quickly rebuild.
Kirby said, "I think people are safer without him walking around," referring to Nasrallah's death. The United States has continued to call for a 21-day cease-fire proposed by the U.S., France, and other countries.
The aim is to halt the violence and allow for diplomatic efforts. On CNN’s "State of the Union", Kirby said, "If you want to get those folks back home safely and sustainably, we believe that a diplomatic path is the right course."
Following Nasrallah's death, President Biden declared it as a "measure of justice" for his victims, highlighting Hezbollah's responsibility for numerous attacks over the past four decades. The death resulted from a precision Israeli airstrike in Beirut.
Prime Minister Netanyahu issued a stern warning to Iran and its allies, emphasizing Israel's reach and readiness to retaliate against any threats. He asserted, "There is no place in Iran or the Middle East that the long arm of Israel cannot reach."
Following Nasrallah's death, Netanyahu had issued a warning to Iran's Ayatollah regime and asserted that those who target Israel will face consequences and that no location in Iran or the Middle East is beyond Israel's reach.
He called Nasrallah as "main engine of Iran's axis of evil" and added, "Nasrallah was not just another terrorist, he was the terrorist. He was the axis of the axis, the main engine of Iran's axis of evil. He and his people were the architects of the plan to destroy Israel. He was not only operated by Iran, he also frequently operated Iran."
He further said, "All those who oppose the axis of evil, all those who are fighting under the violent dictatorship of Iran and its proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Iran itself and other places, they are all filled with hope today. I say to the citizens of those countries: Israel stands with you. And to the ayatollahs' regime I say: Those who strike us, we strike them. There is no place in Iran or the Middle East that the long arm of Israel cannot reach. Today, you already know that this is correct."
Protests erupted in Karachi, Pakistan, over Nasrallah's killing, leading to clashes with police as demonstrators marched toward the U.S. consulate.
As the situation unfolds, President Biden's call with Netanyahu will be crucial in addressing the ongoing conflict and seeking a path to peace.
The president’s statements come as Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon killed dozens of people on Sunday. He would not say when he planned to speak with Netanyahu. Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon resulted in numerous casualties on Sunday, including the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
The Iran-backed group has suffered significant blows to its command structure from Israel's ongoing attacks.
Tens of thousands of Israelis and Lebanese have been forced to evacuate near the Israel-Lebanon border as Hezbollah has launched near-daily rocket volleys at Israel over the past 11 months and Israel has countered with its own strikes. With tens of thousands of civilians displaced on both sides, the Biden administration has tried to bring about a negotiated resolution that would allow them to return home and prevent a wider regional conflict.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby confirmed that Israel has significantly weakened Hezbollah's leadership through recent airstrikes. However, he cautioned that Hezbollah would likely attempt to quickly rebuild.
Kirby said, "I think people are safer without him walking around," referring to Nasrallah's death. The United States has continued to call for a 21-day cease-fire proposed by the U.S., France, and other countries.
The aim is to halt the violence and allow for diplomatic efforts. On CNN’s "State of the Union", Kirby said, "If you want to get those folks back home safely and sustainably, we believe that a diplomatic path is the right course."
Following Nasrallah's death, President Biden declared it as a "measure of justice" for his victims, highlighting Hezbollah's responsibility for numerous attacks over the past four decades. The death resulted from a precision Israeli airstrike in Beirut.
Prime Minister Netanyahu issued a stern warning to Iran and its allies, emphasizing Israel's reach and readiness to retaliate against any threats. He asserted, "There is no place in Iran or the Middle East that the long arm of Israel cannot reach."
Following Nasrallah's death, Netanyahu had issued a warning to Iran's Ayatollah regime and asserted that those who target Israel will face consequences and that no location in Iran or the Middle East is beyond Israel's reach.
He called Nasrallah as "main engine of Iran's axis of evil" and added, "Nasrallah was not just another terrorist, he was the terrorist. He was the axis of the axis, the main engine of Iran's axis of evil. He and his people were the architects of the plan to destroy Israel. He was not only operated by Iran, he also frequently operated Iran."
He further said, "All those who oppose the axis of evil, all those who are fighting under the violent dictatorship of Iran and its proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Iran itself and other places, they are all filled with hope today. I say to the citizens of those countries: Israel stands with you. And to the ayatollahs' regime I say: Those who strike us, we strike them. There is no place in Iran or the Middle East that the long arm of Israel cannot reach. Today, you already know that this is correct."
Protests erupted in Karachi, Pakistan, over Nasrallah's killing, leading to clashes with police as demonstrators marched toward the U.S. consulate.
As the situation unfolds, President Biden's call with Netanyahu will be crucial in addressing the ongoing conflict and seeking a path to peace.
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