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Rabat – An Israeli drone strike hit the southern suburbs of Beirut today, targeting an area known to be a stronghold for Hezbollah and Palestinian groups, including Hamas.
The attack resulted in the death of six people, including Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy chief of Hamas’s political bureau and a prominent figure within the Palestinian group, Al Jazeera reported.
Al-Arouri was a key spokesperson for Hamas and played a significant role in the Palestinian group’s resistance to the ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza.
Following the explosion, residents of the Palestinian town of Arura, the hometown of the assassinated Hamas leader, took to the streets to mourn his death
Protests and gatherings are also taking place in Ramallah and nearby towns, with a general strike called for Wednesday.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the attack as a “new Israeli crime” that “aims to pull Lebanon into a new phase of confrontations in light of the ongoing daily attacks on the south of the country.”
Since the new cycle of violence began on October 7, Israel has launched numerous attacks on southern Lebanon, killing several Lebanese civilians and journalists.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had previously warned against assassinations in Lebanon, warning that any attacks on Lebanese soil would be met with a “strong response.”
Today’s attack represents a major escalation, with Israel openly hitting inside Beirut for the first time since the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Israeli lawmaker Danny Danon congratulated Israeli security services for the killing of al-Arouri.
Analysts believe that this incident could lead to a greater escalation in the already tense situation between Hezbollah and the Israeli occupation forces.
Born in Ramallah in 1966, Saleh al-Arouri was one of the founders of Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades.
He had spent 15 years in Israeli jail before living in exile in Lebanon. The US government designated him as a “global terrorist” in 2015, offering a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture.
