Hamas Deputy Head Saleh Arouri killed in Israeli drone strike in Beirut

Saleh Arouri, the Deputy Head of Hamas’s political bureau, was killed in a drone attack attributed to Israel in the Shiite-dominated Dahieh area in southern Beirut.

The Hamas television channel “Al-Aqsa” reported that two Qassam Brigades commanders, the military wing of Hamas, named “Samir Fandi Abu Amer” and “Azam Al-Aqra Abu Amar,” were killed along with Saleh Arouri in the attack attributed to Israel in south Beirut.

Lebanon’s state news agency reported that six people died in the attack, and Walla News, citing two American officials, stated that Israel had not informed the United States before the attack.

Israeli Television Channel 13 reported that Arouri was supposed to meet with Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of the Hezbollah group, on Wednesday.

Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political bureau, called the attack attributed to Israel against the group’s office a “violation of Lebanese sovereignty” and the killing of Saleh Arouri a “terrorist act.” Haniyeh added that this action “will have no impact on the course of the revolution.”

Najib Mikati, the interim Prime Minister of Lebanon, called the explosion at the Hamas office in south Beirut a “new crime by Israel” and said: “This act is an attempt to drag Lebanon into war.”

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s office of Lebanon wrote that Mikati had asked the Foreign Minister of Lebanon to complain about this attack to the United Nations Security Council.

After the attack, French President Emmanuel Macron, in communication with Israel’s Minister of War, Benny Gantz, urged Israel to avoid escalating tensions, particularly in Lebanon. Macron emphasized France’s commitment to conveying this message to all involved parties in the ongoing Middle East conflicts, advocating for a de-escalation of hostilities.

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