Saleh al-Arouri, the third-in-command of the Palestinian armed group Hamas, was killed in an Israeli drone attack on the outskirts of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, on the 2nd. This is the first time that Israel has eliminated a Hamas executive operating in a country other than the Gaza Strip, Palestine, where Hamas is based, causing strong repercussions.
Hamas immediately declared retaliation, saying, “We will suspend the ongoing ceasefire agreement with Israel.” Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite armed group that supports Hamas, and Iran, which supports both Hamas and Hezbollah, also mentioned retaliation.
Israel has been seeking low-intensity operations in the new year, including a decision to withdraw some troops from the Gaza Strip, Palestine, the stronghold of Hamas. However, with this airstrike, there is a risk of the front line expanding to Lebanon and elsewhere. The concerns of the United States, which does not want the war in the Middle East to prolong, are deepening.
According to Reuters, around 6 PM on this day, an Israeli drone attacked a Hamas office in the southern outskirts of Beirut, killing six people, including Aruri. Aruri is a deputy to Hamas political leader Ismael Haniyeh and is considered third in Hamas’ hierarchy after Haniyeh and Yehia Sinwar, the military leader who led this war.
He has been staying in Lebanon and acting as a liaison between Hamas and Hezbollah. Because of this, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to remove him even before the outbreak of war in October last year.
Haniye immediately announced, “We will definitely retaliate and punish.” He also said he would suspend all ongoing negotiations with Israel, including ceasefire and hostage release negotiations. He also notified Egypt and Qatar, which had been mediating negotiations, of this.
Hezbollah also said, “This is not an issue that will go unpunished. “The resistance forces have their finger on the trigger,” he said, vowing revenge. Hassan Nasrallah Hezbollah has declared that “if Israel attacks the Palestinian leader in Lebanon, we will retaliate.” Considering this, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that there is a possibility that Hezbollah will attack various parts of Israeli territory with missiles and rockets.
Iran also said in a statement from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs that “resistance against the Zionist regime (Israel) that ‘assassinated’ Aruri will be rekindled.” Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced that he would submit an urgent protest to the UN Security Council as Israel violated Lebanese sovereignty.
America’s concerns are also deepening. This is because while Israel is being urged to carry out low-intensity operations to reduce civilian casualties, the risk of the front line expanding into Lebanon has increased. The U.S. Joe Biden administration, which is in dire need of diplomatic achievements ahead of the November presidential election, has been working under the water to stop the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
The U.S. State Department also unusually publicly criticized Israeli far-right politicians’ recent claim that they would “build settlements in the Gaza Strip.” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on the 2nd, “The Gaza Strip is Palestinian land and will continue to be Palestinian land,” and “Stop making inflammatory and irresponsible remarks.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.