Hamas leader Saleh al-Aruri was killed in Lebanon on Tuesday. Now the head of Hezbollah in Lebanon is speaking out in a highly anticipated speech.
Beirut – Hezbollah boss Hassan Nasrallah has warned Israel against an escalation of the conflict with the neighboring country following the death of a senior Hamas representative in Lebanon. “Anyone who thinks about war with us will regret it,” the secretary general of the Iran-backed Shiite organization said in a speech. “If the enemy starts a war against Lebanon, we will no longer follow any rules,” Nasrallah said.
He spoke of a “blatant Israeli attack” on the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut. “Israel tried to project an image of victory by killing Al-Aruri,” Nasrallah said. He blamed Israel for the killing of Hamas leader Saleh al-Aruri, who died in an attack in the suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday evening. “The assassination of Al-Aruri is a dangerous crime that will not go without reaction and punishment,” emphasized Nasrallah. “We are not afraid of war and we do not hesitate.”
As deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, al-Aruri was the second-highest leader of the Islamist Palestinian organization abroad. He died in an explosion on Tuesday evening. Nasrallaha's speech was planned in advance. The occasion was the fourth anniversary of the killing of the powerful Iranian general Ghassem Soleimani, who was killed by the US in a drone strike in Iraq in 2020.
Next statement announced for Friday
Against the backdrop of Al-Aruri's killing, Nasrallah's speech was eagerly awaited. There are concerns that the conflict with Israel could further escalate. Nasrallah announced that he would address the public again on Friday. “I will discuss certain current issues on Friday instead of tonight,” he said.
Hamas also blames Israel for Al-Arouri's violent death. When asked, the Israeli army did not want to comment on the killing of the high-ranking Hamas representative.
Since the beginning of the Gaza war on October 7th, there has been repeated shelling between Hezbollah and the Israeli military on the Lebanese-Israeli border. There were deaths on both sides. dpa
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