US President Joe Biden opposed Israeli combat actions in Lebanon on Monday and called for a truce as tensions increased after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed.
“I am okay with their stopping because I am more aware than you may realize. When asked if he was aware of allegations of Israeli plans for a limited operation and if he was comfortable with one moving forward, Biden reportedly told reporters, “We should have a ceasefire now.” Biden’s comments were cited by AFP.Shortly after telling troops in the country’s north that “we will use all of our capabilities – including you,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that eliminating Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was not the final step and alluded to Israel’s intention to launch a ground invasion of Lebanon. Biden’s remarks followed this declaration.
“While Nasrallah’s removal is a significant step, it is not the last one. We will use every resource at our disposal—including you—to guarantee the restoration of Israel’s northern residents, according to AFP, quoting Gallant.
Gallant stated that “the mission of the IDF” was to get the 60,000 or so Israelis who had been forced to flee their homes due to continuous rocket fire from Lebanon back to their homes in the north. This information was reported by The Guardian.
