Explosion in Mushrafiyeh, a neighborhood in the southern suburbs of Beirut, near the offices of the Ministry of Labour. This was reported by the Lebanese newspaper Orient-Le-Jour. In the explosion it was Saleh al-Arouri, number two in the Hamas political office, killed.
Al-Arouri was killed in what is described as an Israeli drone strike that hit a Hamas office. Founder of the armed wing of the group (the Ezzedin al-Qassam Brigades), he was the deputy of the head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh.
In the raid that targeted a Hamas office in the southern area of Beirut, at least seven people were killed and 11 injured, the Arab satellite media reported, specifying that – in addition to Hamas number two Saleh al-Arouri – they were two commanders of the al-Qassam Brigades, Samir Fendi and Azzam al-Aqra, were killed. The other four victims were identified as Mahmoud Zaki Shaheen, Muhammad al-Rayes, Muhammad Bashasha and Ahmed Hammoud.
Immediately after the explosion, a spokesperson for the Shiite militia Hezbollah spoke of “a targeted assassination and a rocket attack”. Police sources cited by the Dpa agency then confirmed the news of an explosion in the southern suburbs of Beirut, an area known for the presence of Hezbollah. The explosion occurred in the Mushrafiyeh area, near the offices of the Ministry of Labor, the source said. The area was 'sealed' by Hezbollah men.
Hamas: “Killings like that of al-Arouri will not break our will”
“Israel's assassinations against the leaders and symbols of our Palestinian people inside and outside Palestine will not succeed in breaking the will and steadfastness of our people or undermining our resistance.” According to the Lebanese TV 'Al Manar', this was stated by the member of the Hamas political office, Izzat al-Rishq, commenting on the killing in Beirut of the number two of the Hamas political office, Saleh Al-Arouri. Al-Arouri's killing, he added, “shows once again Israel's failure to achieve its objectives in the Gaza Strip.”
Islamic Jihad: “Israel will pay for its crimes, including for al-Arouri's death”
Israel “will pay for its crimes, including for the killing of Saleh al-Arouri.” This is the threat coming from Ihsan Ataya, exponent of the political office of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and representative of the group in Lebanon, quoted by the media of the Land of the Cedars after the latest news from Beirut.
Hezbollah warns: our fingers on the trigger. And launches two missiles
“Our fingers are on the trigger.” Hezbollah declared this in a statement after the killing of Hamas number two, Saleh al-Arouri, in the south of Beirut. “We affirm that this crime will not remain unanswered and unpunished,” the Shiite group continued, announcing that “the resistance fighters are ready.”
According to Hareetz, the Israeli army confirms that Hezbollah has launched two anti-tank missiles against the IDF position near the Israeli border. The IDF added that the tanks responded in “retaliation”.
Israeli MP congratulates security forces
An Israeli lawmaker congratulated security forces on the killing of Salah al-Arouri in Beirut. “I congratulate the IDF, Shin Bet, Mossad and security forces for killing senior Hamas official Salah al-Arouri in Beirut. Anyone involved in the 7/10 massacre should know that we will contact them and we will close the account with them,” wrote Danny Danon, a member of parliament from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and former Israeli representative to the UN.
At the moment Israel has not yet officially commented on the news. According to Channel 12, Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs sent a communication to ministers to refrain from comments. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, of the far-right Religious Zionism party, wrote in X “let the enemies perish”, in a biblical quote that appears to allude to the killing of al Arouri.
Blinken's visit postponed
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was supposed to make his fifth visit to Israel this week since the start of the war that broke out after the Hamas attack on October 7, has postponed his visit until Monday next week. This is what the Israeli television channel 'Channel 12' reports. According to American officials, quoted by Israeli media, the postponement of Blinken's visit to Israel has nothing to do with the assassination of Hamas number two, Saleh al-Arouri.
Israeli authorities did not inform the White House of the plan to eliminate Saleh al-Arouri before the raid, but did so only while the attack on Beirut was underway. This is what the TV channel reports, citing Israeli officials.
Hostages, negotiations suspended after al-Arouri killing
Negotiations between Hamas and Israel on the release of the hostages and a new ceasefire in Gaza have been suspended after the killing in Beirut of the number two of the Palestinian group, Saleh al-Arouri, reported Haaretz citing Arab sources, according to whom now talks are focusing on how to prevent further escalation, particularly along the front between Lebanon and northern Israel.
Lebanon Prime Minister Condemns “New Israeli Crime”
The interim Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, condemned the “new Israeli crime”. Mikati, local media reported, accused Israel of wanting to drag the Land of Cedars “into a new phase of confrontation after the continuous daily attacks in the south, which have left a large number of martyrs and wounded”. The head of the Lebanese government added that the attack against the senior Hamas leader “constitutes a clear response to our efforts to remove the specter of war in Gaza from Lebanon”.
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