Israel’s war against the Hamas terrorists reached Lebanon on Tuesday, with severe Israeli air strikes killing the deputy leader of Hamas, Saleh al-Arouri. The news was confirmed by the Hamas terrorist group and the security officials in Lebanon. According to high-level security officials, the leader was killed along with his bodyguards in the strikes by Israel, who vowed to destroy Hamas terrorists after they carried out unprecedented attacks on Israeli civilians and held hostages.
Arouri, a long-time Hamas operative and the founder of the group’s armed wing played an essential role in Hamas’ relationships with regional allies and was behind the group’s increasing military capabilities. He was also responsible for the number of attacks carried out against Israeli civilians, including the killing and kidnapping of three teenagers in the West Bank in 2014.
According to the Lebanese media reports, the strikes also targeted a Hamas office in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where there is a stronghold of Iran-backed Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas. The incident is expected to trigger Hezbollah to respond to Israel’s strike, further aggravating the incident. Responding to Arouri’s assassination, Hamas declared that his death would not hamper them and would not result in the terrorist group’s downfall. While describing it as a serious assault on Lebanon and calling it a crucial development, Lebanon vowed that Arouri’s death would not go unpunished.
Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari did not directly comment on Arouri’s killing but stated that the military is highly prepared for any scenario in its aftermath.
Meanwhile, a US official, citing Israel’s vow of destroying Hamas terrorists, said that the attack on Arouri, the first such assassination of a top Hamas chief of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in recent years, is just the beginning and will go on for years. Another US official said that though Israel did not inform the US beforehand, it briefed a senior American official when the operation was underway.
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