In a shocking development, the Palestinian group Hamas confirmed the assassination of its deputy chief, Saleh Arouri, in Beirut, Lebanon, on Tuesday.
The resistance group revealed that two commanders from its armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, were also among the casualties, as reported by its news agency Al-Rai.
According to Lebanon’s official National News Agency, the lethal incident occurred in Mecherfeh, southern Beirut, during an Israeli drone strike on a Hamas office.
The attack claimed the lives of at least six individuals, marking a significant escalation in regional tensions.
Saleh Arouri’s assassination makes him the highest-ranking Hamas leader killed by Israel since the commencement of the Gaza conflict on October 7.
The incident amplifies the existing strain along the Lebanon-Israel border, characterized by sporadic exchanges of gunfire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah.
These clashes represent the deadliest confrontations since the full-scale war between the two sides in 2006.
The heightened border tensions coincide with an ongoing Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip, initiated in response to a cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7.
The toll from this conflict is staggering, with Gaza’s health authorities reporting at least 22,185 Palestinians killed and 57,035 others injured. Simultaneously, nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have lost their lives in the wake of the Hamas attack.
As the situation unfolds, the international community closely monitors the rapidly evolving developments, with concerns escalating over the deepening conflict and its potential ramifications on regional stability.
