The United States on Tuesday reiterated its commitment to Israel’s security, after Israel eliminated senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut.
“Our commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad and unwavering against all Iran-backed threats, including Lebanese Hezbollah,” said US National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson in a statement.
“The attack by Lebanese Hezbollah this weekend, which killed 12 children and teenagers playing soccer, was horrific. Israel has a right to defend itself against the severe threats it faces,” added Watson.
“At the same time, the United States is continuing to work on a diplomatic solution to end these terrible attacks and allow citizens on both sides to safely return to their homes,” she concluded.
The IDF announced on Tuesday night that in a targeted, intelligence-based elimination, Israeli Air Force fighter jets eliminated the Hezbollah terrorist organization's most senior military commander and the head of its Strategic Unit, Fuad Shukr "Sayyid Muhsan", in the area of Beirut.
The IDF also said that Shukr has directed Hezbollah's attacks on the State of Israel since October 8th, and he was the commander responsible for the murder of the 12 children in Majdal Shams in northern Israel on Saturday evening, as well as the killing of numerous Israelis and foreign nationals over the years.
US Vice President Kamala Harris later commented on the events and said, "I want to address what's happened over the last few hours in terms of the Middle East, and be very clear Israel has a right to defend itself."
"What we know in particular is it has the right to defend itself against a terrorist organization, which is exactly what Hezbollah is," added Harris.
"But all of that being said, we still must work on a diplomatic solution to end these attacks, and we will continue to do that work," she stated.