Harris Backs Israel’s ‘Right to Defend’ Against Hezbollah, Urges ‘Diplomatic Solution’

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee for the upcoming election, stated on Tuesday that Israel has a “right to defend itself” following a strike in Hezbollah’s stronghold in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Harris, who recently took a firm stance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding Israel’s actions in Gaza, also emphasized the need for a diplomatic solution to prevent an all-out conflict on the Lebanon-Israel border.

“I want to address the recent events in the Middle East and make it clear that Israel has a right to defend itself,” Harris told reporters en route to an election rally in Atlanta, Georgia.

Israel claimed that Tuesday’s attack targeted Hezbollah’s top military commander, Fouad Shukur, alleging he was responsible for a rocket attack that killed 12 children in the occupied Golan Heights over the weekend.

“Israel has the right to defend itself against a terrorist organization, which is exactly what Hezbollah is,” Harris added.

“However, we must still strive for a diplomatic solution to end these attacks, and we will continue our efforts in that direction,” she said.

Harris is set to be the Democratic presidential nominee for the November U.S. election following President Joe Biden’s unexpected decision to withdraw from the race just over a week ago.

Amid speculation about whether she would alter Biden’s strong support for Israel’s actions in Gaza, Harris clarified last week after meeting Netanyahu in Washington that she “will not be silent” about Palestinian casualties.

On Thursday, Harris expressed her “serious concern about the scale of human suffering” to Netanyahu, who had separate meetings with both her and Biden.