US President Joe Biden on Saturday backed Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrullah and called it a “measure of justice” for many victims in his four-decade-long “reign of terror”.

The Lebanese group Hezbollah on Saturday has confirmed the death of their chief in an air strike on the group’s underground headquarters near the capital, Beirut.

Read also: “Cowardly Terrorist Act”: Hamas, Hezbollah Response On Hassan Nasrallah Assassination

Hours after Israel claimed the killing of a 64-year-old, Hezbollah said its leader “has joined his fellow martyrs” and pledged it would “continue the holy war against the enemy and in support of Palestine” amid fears that a regional war is now inevitable.

“Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror. His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians,” Biden said, according to a statement issued by the White House.

Biden further added that he had directed Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to further enhance the defense posture of US military forces in the Middle East to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a border war.

“The United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups,” he said.

Biden administration has pushed unsuccessfully for months to end the war in Gaza. Biden had said that the US was seeking diplomatic solutions to end the conflicts but stopped short of any criticism of Israel’s action, on the other hand, there are reports of the Biden administration’s continuous supplies of arms to Israel amidst its aggression in Gaza.

Vice President Kamala Harris also echoes Biden’s statement and said “Today, Hezbollah’s victims have a measure of justice”.

“Diplomacy remains the best path forward to protect civilians and achieve lasting stability in the region”, she noted.

Read also: Hezbollah Confirms The Assassination Of Hassan Nasrallah

Meanwhile, Hamas had condemned the killing of the Lebanese leader and called it a “cowardly, terrorist act” by Israel.

“We condemn in the strongest terms this barbaric Zionist aggression and targeting of residential buildings,” the group said in a statement, accusing Israel of disregarding “all international values, customs and charters” and “blatantly threaten[ing] international security and peace, in light of silence, helplessness and international neglect”.