Hamas Deputy Chief Assassinated in Israeli Drone Strike in Beirut
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Deputy Chief of the Political Bureau of the Hamas resistance movement Saleh al-Arouri was assassinated on Tuesday evening in a targeted Israeli drone strike on the Southern Suburb of Beirut, Lebanon's National News Agency reported.
The attack occurred as an Israeli drone targeted a Hamas office in Msharafieh, resulting in casualties and ambulances rushing to the scene.
Firing three missiles, the Israeli drone struck the building, leading to the martyrdom of six individuals, according to Al Mayadeen's correspondent.
Hamas mourned the loss of Saleh al-Arouri, praising him as a "great national leader" who commanded the Resistance in the West Bank and Gaza, and was the architect of the Al-Aqsa Storm operation.
In a previous interview, al-Arouri had defiantly stated that Israeli threats against him would not alter his convictions or chosen path.
Following the launch of Al-Aqsa Storm operation, al-Arouri, along with Hezbollah's Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and the Secretary General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement, Ziyad al-Nakhalah, assessed international and regional stances. They discussed actions for the Axis of Resistance parties and ways to achieve victory in Gaza and Palestine, emphasizing the need for global unity against Israeli aggression.
Israeli media had previously highlighted threats to al-Arouri's life, with retired general Eitan Dangot advocating for his assassination. Al-Arouri was seen as a central figure by Israeli intelligence agencies due to his strategic role in framing Hamas' military apparatus outside Gaza.
The assassination of al-Arouri complicates US efforts to contain the conflict in Gaza, challenging the Biden administration's goal to avoid an expansion of the war. Randa Slim, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, noted that the US sees the assassination as a potential complicating factor in its mediation efforts between the Israeli regime and Lebanon.
Hezbollah has vowed a response to the targeted assassination, attributing it to an Israeli drone strike. While Israel has not officially claimed responsibility, it is believed to have acted on intelligence to carry out the attack. Israeli regime officials have reportedly been ordered to remain silent on the matter of al-Arouri's killing on Lebanese soil.
