While “no one is mourning the death of Nasrallah, we certainly mourn any loss of civilian life,” US national security spokesman John Kirby said this Sunday (29), on the State of the Union program on CNN after the Israeli attack on a densely populated neighborhood of Beirut killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
“I don’t think anyone is mourning the loss of Mr. Nasrallah, a known terrorist, a guy with American blood on his hands as well as Israeli blood on his hands. This is a terrorist organization. He was the leader. And I think people are safer without him walking around,” Kirby said.
When asked what the number of civilians killed in the attack was, Kirby said, “We can’t quantify that at this point.”
“We are in contact with our Israeli partners about this. Every civilian death is a tragedy. And certainly, while, once again, no one is mourning the death of Nasrallah, we certainly mourn any loss of civilian life,” Kirby said.
More than 1,000 people have been killed since Israeli attacks in Lebanon increased last week, according to the Lebanese government. The attack that killed Nasrallah occurred in a series of explosions that destroyed residential buildings in a busy area of Beirut’s southern suburbs. Israel accused Hezbollah of using civilians as “human shields”.
While Kirby did not comment on Israel’s decision-making process, he emphasized that the United States and President Joe Biden continue to push for diplomacy and a ceasefire.
“I think what we would agree on is that there needs to be an effort to de-escalate here,” he said.
Understand the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah
Israel has launched a series of airstrikes on areas of Lebanon in recent days.
On Monday (23), the country had its deadliest day since the 2006 war, with more than 500 fatalities.
According to the Israeli military, the targets are members and military infrastructure of Hezbollah, one of the most powerful paramilitary forces in the Middle East and supported by Iran.
The offensive reached several points in Lebanon, including the country’s capital, Beirut. Thousands of people sought refuge in shelters and left cities in the south of the country.
Furthermore, a ground incursion has not been ruled out. Hezbollah and Israel began exchanging attacks after the start of the war in the Gaza Strip. The Lebanese group is an ally of Hamas, which invaded Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, killing hundreds of people and capturing hostages.
Due to the bombings, thousands of residents of northern Israel, where the border with Lebanon is located, had to be displaced. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised several times to return these citizens to their homes.
On September 17, Israel added the return of these residents as an official war objective.
At least two Brazilian teenagers died in the attacks. Itamaraty condemned the situation and called for an end to hostilities. The Brazilian government is also evaluating a possible rescue mission.
This content was originally published in Casa Branca says “no one is mourning” the death of Hezbollah leader on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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