LONDON: US President Joe Biden on Saturday described the Israeli strike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as a 鈥渕easure of justice鈥� for his thousands of victims.

Biden was speaking after Hezbollah had earlier confirmed that Nasrallah, one of the group鈥檚 founders, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut the previous day.

Biden said 鈥渢aking out鈥� Nasrallah happened in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas鈥� massacre of Israelis on Oct. 7 last year.

鈥淣asrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a 鈥榥orthern front鈥� against Israel,鈥� Biden said in a statement.

He also noted that Hezbollah under Nasrallah鈥檚 watch had been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians.

Biden said that he had directed US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to 鈥渇urther enhance the defense posture of US military forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war.鈥�

Washington鈥檚 goal was to 鈥渄eescalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means,鈥� he added.

However, Biden and his administration have repeatedly said that they had no prior knowledge of the latest Israeli attack, a strike that some officials have spoken out against.

鈥淣asrallah was a bad guy, but it is frustrating that the Israelis are doing this without consulting us and then ask that we clean up when it comes to deterring Iran,鈥� one US official told Axios.

Another American official said 鈥淣asrallah has blood on his hands,鈥� but that the Biden administration did not see how Israel鈥檚 鈥渨hack-a-mole鈥� approach will address the larger strategic picture, Axios added.

* With AFP