NEW DELHI : Hasan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, has issued a stern warning in response to the killing of Saleh al-Arouri, a prominent figure within Hamas, who died in a drone attack in Beirut on Tuesday. While Israel has not confirmed its responsibility for the attack, Nasrallah asserts that the killing “will not go unpunished.”
Describing the incident as a “major, dangerous crime,” Nasrallah emphasised that Hezbollah cannot remain silent about Arouri’s death. He further cautioned that if Israel initiates war on Lebanon, there will be no limits to Hezbollah’s response, stating, “there will be no ceilings, no rules.”
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In a televised address, Nasrallah asserted, “We are not afraid of war,” and warned that those contemplating war with Hezbollah would “regret it” as it would come at a “very high cost.”
“Those who think of going to war with us will regret it. War with us will come at a very high cost,”he added.
Previously, Nasrallah had declared that any killings within Lebanon would be considered a red line for Hezbollah. The group, designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the UK, and other nations, is the largest political and military force in Lebanon, with representation in the country’s government.
The recent attack, which claimed Arouri’s life, marks the first in Beirut after months of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel along Lebanon’s southern border in response to the conflict in Gaza.
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On Wednesday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) asserted that it was “defending its borders” following missile launches from Lebanon. The IDF reportedly increased the number of its air defence batteries near the border in response.
Arouri, a key figure in Hamas’s armed wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, and a close ally of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, had been in Lebanon facilitating communication between Hamas and Hezbollah. He was known to be on Israel’s hit list, with a $5 million bounty on his head since 2018, and was also blacklisted by the United States.
Miri Eisin, a retired colonel from the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), noted that Arouri was living in the heart of the Hezbollah-controlled Dahiya area in Beirut and served as the direct link between Hamas and Hezbollah.
