On Tuesday, Israel killed Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy leader of Hamas, in a drone strike in Beirut, according to Lebanese and Palestinian security sources. The assassination of al-Arouri, who was 57 years old, is the first of a senior Hamas political leader since Israel launched a massive air and ground offensive against the group three months ago after its surprise attack on Israeli towns. The killing of al-Arouri raises the potential risk of the war in Gaza spreading beyond the Palestinian enclave.
Lebanon’s heavily armed Hezbollah group, a Hamas ally, has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israel across Lebanon’s southern border since the war in Gaza began in October. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has warned Israel against carrying out any assassinations on Lebanese soil, vowing a “severe reaction”. Following al-Arouri’s killing, Hezbollah said it had targeted a group of Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of Marj with missiles.
Israel has long accused al-Arouri of lethal attacks on its citizens. However, a Hamas official said he was also “at the heart of negotiations” conducted by Qatar and Egypt over the outcome of the Gaza war and the release of Hamas-held Israeli hostages.
Israel neither confirmed nor denied carrying out the killing. Still, its military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said Israeli forces were in a high state of readiness and prepared for any scenario. When asked by a reporter about the reports of al-Arouri’s killing, Hagari said, “The most important thing to say tonight is that we are focused and remain focused on fighting Hamas.”
