Head of Hamas delegation Saleh al-Arouri killed in attack by Israel – Lebanese and Palestinian security sources

Head of the Hamas delegation Saleh al-Arouri speaks during a reconciliation agreement signing ceremony in Cairo, Egypt, October 12, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo

[ベイルート／エルサレム ２日 ロイター] – Saleh al-Arouri, a senior member of the Islamic organization Hamas, was killed in an attack by Israel on the night of the 2nd. This was revealed by Lebanese and Palestinian security sources. It is said that Israel used a small drone to attack a base belonging to the Shiite Islamist group Hezbollah in Dahieh, a suburb of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon.

The Israeli army responded to a Reuters interview saying it does not respond to foreign media reports. Mark Regev, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told MSNBC that Israel was not responsible for the attack, adding: “Regardless of who did it, this was not an attack on Lebanon as a country. “We have to make it clear that this is an attack on the leadership of Hamas, regardless of who carried it out.”

Arouri is 57 years old. He was the deputy political director of Hamas and one of the founders of the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas that carried out a surprise attack on Israel on October 7 last year. He is the first senior Hamas political official to be killed since Israel launched a military operation against Hamas following a surprise attack in October.

He had recently been to Lebanon and Qatar. Last year, the United States announced a reward of $5 million for information about Mr. Allouri.

Hamas confirmed through its radio Al-Aqsa affiliate that Allouri had been killed. Al-Aqsa Radio also said in a post on the Telegram chat app that two senior members of the Qassam Brigades were also killed in the attack.

Hamas leader Haniyeh said in a televised speech that the killing of Allouri in the Israeli attack in Beirut amounted to “an act of terrorism”, violated Lebanese sovereignty and showed Israel’s hostility towards the Palestinians. Hezbollah also posted on Telegram that the attack was a “serious attack on Lebanon” and a “dangerous development in the war between hostile forces and the Axis of Resistance.”

Lebanese state media reported that six people were killed in an Israeli drone attack on a Hamas-affiliated facility in Dahieh on the night of the 2nd. Lebanese Prime Minister Mikati condemned the attack, calling it “another Israeli crime” and an attempt to drag Lebanon into war.

Lebanon issued a statement saying it would complain to the United Nations Security Council about the attack on the southern outskirts of the capital, Beirut, as well as all the “crimes of Lebanese sovereignty” by Israel.

Hundreds of people took to the streets of Ramallah, in the autonomous Palestinian region of the West Bank, demanding revenge. Iran has said it believes killing Allouri will further escalate its fight against Israel.

The spokesman for the Israeli military, Hagari, said that the Israeli army is well prepared for any situation that may arise following the killing of Arouri. The Israeli army said they were focused on defeating Hamas.

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