US Mideast czar says ‘nobody shedding a tear’ for Hezbollah commander but hints at unease over killing

White House Mideast czar Brett McGurk says the Biden administration is not shedding a tear over Israel’s killing of top Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil, but he indicates that the US might not agree with the move given the risk it brings for regional escalation.

“Ibrahim Akil, who was killed today, was responsible for the Beirut barracks and embassy bombing 40 years ago. So nobody sheds a tear for him,” McGurk says while addressing the Israeli-American Council’s conference in Washington.

“That said, we have disagreements with the Israelis on tactics and how you kind of measure escalation risk… It is a very concerning situation. I’m very confident that through diplomacy, through deterrence and other means we’ll work our way out of it,” he adds.

“We do not think a war in Lebanon is the way to achieve the objective, to return people to their homes. We also fully stand with Israel in their defense of their people and their territory against Hezbollah,” McGurk continues. “We want a diplomatic settlement to the north. That is the objective, and that’s what we’re working towards.”

WH coordinator for the ME at the @israeliamerican conference on Lebanon:
“We do not think a war in Lebanon is the way to achieve the objective, to return people to their homes. We also fully stand with Israel in their defense of their people and their territory against Hezbollah.… pic.twitter.com/COtwEXTNkq

— יונה לייבזון yuna leibzon (@YunaLeibzon) September 20, 2024