US White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks at a press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, December 12, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

i24 News – No one should shed tears over the jihadist terrorist taken out by Israel in Beirut, a top U.S. official said in response to the strike, while National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan praised the IDF’s operation.

“Ibrahim Aqil, who was killed today, was responsible for the Beirut Embassy bombing 40 years ago. So nobody sheds a tear for him,” Bret McGurk said at 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,” he further added. “I’m very confident that through diplomacy, through deterrence and other means, we’ll work our way out of it.”

“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 continued. “We want a diplomatic settlement to the north. That is the objective, and that’s what we’re working towards.”