The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Tuesday that they have ‘neutralized’ Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy leader of Hamas, in Lebanon. While the IDF has not released an official statement yet, Hamas has confirmed the assassination.
Izzat al-Rishq, a senior official of Hamas, stated, “The cowardly assassinations carried out by the Zionist occupation 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 in undermining the continuation of their resistance.”
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh condemned the act, describing it as a “fully-fledged terrorist act” and a violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty. He added, “The Nazi occupation bears responsibility for this aggression and will not succeed in breaking the will of resilience and the steadfast resistance of our people and its valiant resistance.”
Lebanon’s Prime Minister said that killing of Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri is a ‘new Israeli crime’ that ‘aims to pull Lebanon into a new phase of confrontation’
Israeli politician and former diplomat Danny Danon praised the Israeli security forces in a social media post, saying, “The killing of Saleh al-Arouri outside of Beirut is a commendable achievement.”
It’s worth noting that top Israeli leaders, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, have previously expressed the intention to target key leaders of Hamas.
The situation is still developing, and an official statement from the IDF is awaited.
