U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan expressed concern on Saturday over the rising tensions between Israel and Lebanon, following an Israeli strike that killed a senior Hezbollah leader. While Sullivan highlighted the risk of further escalation, he described the killing of Ibrahim Aqil, a Hezbollah commander linked to the 1983 Beirut bombings, as “justice” for the group’s past actions.
Speaking to reporters in Wilmington, Delaware, Sullivan reiterated that while there remains a potential path to a ceasefire in Gaza, the U.S. is not currently positioned to propose a deal acceptable to all parties involved. The U.S. continues diplomatic efforts with Qatar and Egypt, who are in talks with Hamas, but a ceasefire agreement remains elusive at this time.
Hezbollah acknowledged that 16 of its members, including Ibrahim Aqil and Ahmed Wahbi, were among those killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb. The Lebanese health ministry confirmed that 37 people, including women and children, were killed in the attack, marking the deadliest escalation in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict since early October.
Sullivan noted that Aqil had been sought by the U.S. for his role in the 1983 bombings that targeted American forces in Beirut, resulting in over 300 deaths. He emphasized, “Any time a terrorist who has murdered Americans is brought to justice, we believe that that is a good outcome.”
Despite the heightened risk of further violence, Sullivan remains hopeful about achieving a long-term solution. He believes there is “a distinct avenue” to halting hostilities that could provide security for both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border.
In a separate incident, an Israeli airstrike on a school in southern Gaza, sheltering displaced civilians, led to the deaths of at least 22 people, including women and children. Israel claimed the target was a Hamas command center embedded in the school.