What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
NEW DELHI : In Beirut’s southern suburbs of Dahiyeh, a drone strike targeted a Hamas office, resulting in the death of senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri. The strike also claimed the lives of six others. Lebanon’s state news agency reported the incident, and Hamas denounced it as a “cowardly assassination” by Israel, emphasising that such attacks won’t weaken the resolve of the Palestinian people.
Al-Arouri, 57, held the position of deputy chief of Hamas’s political bureau and played a crucial role in founding the group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades. He had been living in Lebanon in exile following 15 years spent in an Israeli prison. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had previously issued threats against him.
Despite no official response from Israel regarding al-Arouri’s death, Mark Regev, an adviser to Netanyahu, stated on MSNBC that Israel does not claim responsibility for the attack.
But, added, “Whoever did it, it must be clear: this was not an attack on the Lebanese state. Whoever did this did a surgical strike against the Hamas leadership.”
However, he acknowledged it as a precise strike against the Hamas leadership. In contrast, Danny Danon, a former Israeli envoy to the United Nations, applauded the attack, expressing congratulations to the Israeli army and intelligence agencies.
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, condemned the strike on Beirut’s suburb, labelling it a “new Israeli crime” and warning against attempts to draw Lebanon into the conflict. Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group, asserted that the attack on the capital would face repercussions and vowed not to go unpunished.
In response to al-Arouri’s death, mosques in Arura, in the occupied West Bank, mourned, and a general strike was called in Ramallah. Al-Arouri, in recent weeks, had served as the spokesperson for Hamas and affirmed that the group would not engage in discussions regarding a prisoner exchange until the conflict in Gaza concluded.
While Israeli media reported that the government instructed cabinet ministers not to comment on al-Arouri’s death, the situation has sparked tensions between the involved parties. Lebanon accuses Israel of committing a new crime, while Hamas views the incident as a failed attempt by Israel to achieve its aggressive goals.
The situation remains complex, with reactions varying among different parties involved, and the repercussions of this event may further unfold in the coming days.
