Assassination of Saleh al-Arouri

Coordinates: 33°51′26″N 35°30′52″E / 33.857331°N 35.514419°E / 33.857331; 35.514419
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2024 Dahieh attack
Part of the Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present) and the Israel–Hamas war
Date2 January 2024; 3 months ago (2024-01-02)
LocationDahieh, Lebanon
Coordinates33°51′26″N 35°30′52″E / 33.857331°N 35.514419°E / 33.857331; 35.514419
TypeDrone attack or airstrike
MotiveUnknown
TargetSaleh al-Arouri
PerpetratorIsrael Israel[1] (presumed)
Deaths7[2]

On 2 January 2024, Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy leader of Hamas, was killed in an Israeli strike on an office in the Dahieh neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon. The strike also killed six other individuals, including additional high-ranking Hamas militants.[3][4]

Saleh al-Arouri was the deputy leader of the Hamas political bureau and one of the architects of the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.[5] He was also responsible for the expansion of Hamas' activities in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including attacks on Israelis.[6][7][8] This attack is widely believed to have been carried out by Israel, Hamas' main adversary. However, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in this incident.[9][10]

The assassination occurred a day before Hezbollah commemorated the fourth anniversary of the assassination of senior Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.[11]

Background

On 8 October 2023, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah fired guided rockets and artillery shells at Israeli positions in the disputed Shebaa Farms one day into the 2023 Israel–Hamas war. Israel retaliated by launching drone strikes and artillery shells at Hezbollah positions near Lebanon's boundary with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The outbreak of the conflict had followed Hezbollah's declaration of support and praise for the Hamas attack on Israel, which took place on 7 October.[12][13] Since 1969, Palestinian militia groups have held base in Lebanon after being ousted from Jordan.

Up until 2015, Arouri lived in Turkey; in December 2015, it was reported that he had left Turkey for Lebanon.[14] In 2015, the United States had placed a $5 million bounty on Saleh al-Arouri and designated him as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.[15]

Lead-up

Allied groups of Hamas specifically warned the group against using the office after they suspected that its location had become exposed to Israeli intelligence.[16] Hezbollah had written letters to Hamas. Numerous members brought phones with them which placed them at further risk of surveillance and the office was also equipped with at least one computer and had Wi-Fi connection.[16] Lebanese security officials suspect that a stealth plane fired precision-guided missiles into the office. A security official informed the National News that “The radars that we have are civil radars, we don’t have military radar capability that can pick up on the presence of stealth planes.”[16]

Attack

According to CCTV footage published by MTV Lebanon, the attack took place around 17:41 (local time) in Dahieh, a residential suburban neighborhood of Beirut.[17] Cell phone footage show at least one car engulfed in flames in front of a damaged residential building as dozens gather in the area just after the strike.[1] Early reports said that four Hamas members were killed but increased to six which included a possible civilian.[18] Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV announced that Hamas Operations Chief in Lebanon, Samir Fendi, and Azzam al-Aqra were among those killed in the strike alongside al-Arouri.[19] Ismail Haniyeh later identified three additional Hamas members who were killed. He announced the deaths of Hamas members Mahmoud Zaki Shahin, Mohammad Bashasha, Mohammad al-Rayes and Mohammad Hamoud.[20]

Two senior U.S. officials confirmed that Israel was responsible for the strike.[1]

Killed

List of those killed that were eventually announced by Hamas.

Name Role Ref
Saleh al-Arouri Deputy Chairman of the Political Bureau of Hamas [1]
Samir Fendi Al-Qassam Commanders [21]
Azzam Al-Aqra [19]
Muhammad Al-Rayes Soldiers [22]
Muhammad Bashasha [20]
Ahmed Hammoud
Mahmoud Zaki Shahin

Aftermath

Saleh al-Arouri was the highest ranking Hamas leader killed since the beginning of the war.[23] In his second speech since the beginning of the war, Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said that Hezbollah is not afraid of an all-out war with Israel.[24] He described the attack as a "major and dangerous crime" that "will not go unanswered and unpunished".[25] Hezbollah announced that it carried out nine attacks targeting Israeli positions.[24] On the same day, an Israeli airstrike in Naqoura killed local Hezbollah commander Hussein Yazbek and three of his bodyguards, and injured nine other Hezbollah operatives.[26]

Reactions

Governments

  • The Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati described the assassination as a "new Israeli crime" designed at "dragging Lebanon into a new phase of confrontation".[27]
  • The spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry condemned the assassination, asserting that Israel and its supporters would bear responsibility for the consequences of this "new adventure."[28]
    • Iran warned the United States that it must prepare to face the consequences for the attack.[29]
    • Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi stated the assassination was a crime.[30]
  • The Israeli government did not immediately take responsibility for the strike that killed al-Arouri. Mark Regev, an adviser to the Israeli prime minister, said in an interview that Israel "has not taken responsibility for this attack. But whoever did it, it must be clear – this was not an attack on the Lebanese state ... Whoever did this did a surgical strike against the Hamas leadership".[31]
    • MK Danny Danon posted on social media, writing, "I congratulate the IDF, Shin Bet, the Mossad and the security forces for killing senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut."[32]
  • French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israel to "avoid any escalatory attitude, particularly in Lebanon" in a call with Israel's war cabinet member Benny Gantz.[33]

Groups and organizations

  • After the attack, UN spokeswoman Florencia Soto Nino said that "The Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres) urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint and take urgent steps to deescalate tensions in the region".[34]
  • Hamas member Izzat al-Risheq stated that al-Arouri was killed in a "cowardly assassination" by Israel, and added that "It proves once again the abject failure of this enemy to achieve any of its aggressive goals in the Gaza Strip".[35]
  • The Palestinian Islamic Jihad Secretary General Ziad al-Nakhalah mourned Arouri, calling him a leader who contributed to the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.[36]
  • The Palestinian National and Islamic Forces commemorated Arouri's death and called for "revolutionary action" in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the rest of Israel.[36]
  • Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada General Secretariat compared Israel's killing of Arouri to the US killing of Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and claimed that the attack "violated Lebanese sovereignty".[36]
  • The Chairman of the Popular Mobilization Forces, Falih Al-Fayyadh warned that the "murderous criminals" who killed Arouri will pay for their actions.[36]
  • In an official statement, the Islamic Group condemned the attack and stressed "that the assassination will not go unpunished".[37]

Demonstrations

Immediately after the conformation of al-Arouri's death, numerous demonstrations took place in Lebanese cities. Protests were held at refugee camps including the Beddawi refugee camp in Tripoli.[38] This included protests in the city of Ramallah, near Arouri's hometown, where demonstrators chanted: "We will follow your footsteps", and "revenge, revenge, Qassam!"[38]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Boxerman, Aaron; Hubbard, Ben; Bergman, Ronen; Schmitt, Eric (2024-01-02). "Israel-Hamas War: Blast in Beirut Kills Senior Hamas Leader". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  2. ^ "Israeli drone kills deputy Hamas chief in Beirut". Reuters. 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  3. ^ "Israeli strike in Lebanon kills senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri -security sources". Reuters. 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Hamas' Al Aqsa TV: two Al Qassam Brigades leaders killed in Israeli strike in Beirut". Reuters. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  5. ^ Ari, Lior Ben (2024-01-02). "Saleh al-Arouri, Hamas No. 2 killed in Hamas offices blast in Beirut". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  6. ^ "How Israel's assassination of Arouri ends an era for Hamas". The Jerusalem Post. 2024-01-03. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  7. ^ Kampeas, Ron (2024-01-02). "Top Hamas official assassinated in Beirut, reportedly by Israel". The Forward. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  8. ^ Ravid, Barak (2024-01-02). "Israeli drone strike kills senior Hamas official in Beirut, sources say". Axios.
  9. ^ "Killing of Arouri sends menacing message to Hamas chiefs, may hamper truce effort". Reuters. 2024-01-03.
  10. ^ "Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri killed in Beirut blast". BBC News. 2024-01-02. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  11. ^ "نصرالله يطل في ذكرى سليماني فكيف سيرد على تهديدات إسرائيل وتطبيق القرار 1701؟" [Nasrallah appears at Soleimani's memorial. How will he respond to Israel's threats and the implementation of Resolution 1701?]. Al-Quds (in Arabic). 2024-01-02.
  12. ^ Goldenberg, Tia; Shurafa, Wafaa (8 October 2023). "Hezbollah and Israel exchange fire as Israeli soldiers battle Hamas on second day of surprise attack". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  13. ^ "Israel, Hezbollah exchange artillery, rocket fire". Reuters. 8 October 2023. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  14. ^ ""Al-Quds al-Arabi": Hamas leader Salah al-Aruri no longer lives in Turkey". en.israel-today.ru. Archived from the original on 13 May 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  15. ^ "Israeli drone strike in Lebanon's Beirut kills Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri". Al Arabiya English. 2024-01-02.
  16. ^ a b c Homsi, Nada (2024-01-22). "Seven phones and a marked-out office: how Israel found and killed a Hamas leader in Beirut". The National. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  17. ^ "فيديو للحظة استهداف صالح العاروري". MTV Lebanon (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-01-14.
  18. ^ Presse, AFP-Agence France. "Lebanese State Media Says Four Killed In Israeli Drone Strike On Hamas Office In Beirut". www.barrons.com. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  19. ^ a b "Al-Aqsa TV affiliated with Hamas: Al-Qassam Brigades commanders Samir Fandi Abu Amer and Azzam Al-Aqra Abu Ammar killed in Israeli attack in Beirut". LBCIV7. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  20. ^ a b Harb, Ali; Osgood, Brian (2 January 2024). "Seven Hamas members killed in Israeli assassination: Haniyeh". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  21. ^ "Hamas Operations Chief in Lebanon martyred in assassination attack". en.royanews.tv. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  22. ^ "Assassination of Arouri exposes occupation's brutality, says Hamas leader". Roya News. 2 January 2024. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  23. ^ Hubbard, Ben (3 January 2024). "Leader's Killing is a Blow, but Not a Knockout, for Hamas". The New York Times.
  24. ^ a b Harb, Ali. "Hezbollah's Nasrallah says 'not afraid of war' after killing of al-Arouri". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  25. ^ https://www.timesofisrael.com/nasrallah-threatens-israel-over-arouri-hit-warns-of-war-without-rules-or-limits/
  26. ^ "Hezbollah confirms death of four operatives, including a local commander". I24news. 2024-01-04. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  27. ^ ""توريط للبنان".. ميقاتي يدين انفجار ضاحية بيروت الجنوبية" ["Involving Lebanon"... Mikati condemns the explosion in the southern suburb of Beirut]. Sky News Arabia (in Arabic).
  28. ^ "ایران ترور صالح العاروری را به‌شدت محکوم کرد" [Iran strongly condemned the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri] (in Persian). mizanonline. 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  29. ^ "נשיא איראן: "ישראל תשלם מחיר כבד על הפיגוע בקבר סולימאני"" [The President of Iran: "Israel will pay a heavy price for the attack on Soleimani's tomb"]. www.maariv.co.il (in Hebrew). 2024-01-03. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  30. ^ "Iran's president: Assassination of al-Arouri is 'a crime'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  31. ^ "Israeli drone kills Hamas deputy leader in Beirut -Lebanese, Palestinian sources". Reuters. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  32. ^ "Israeli lawmaker congratulates military, secret services for assassination". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  33. ^ "Strike on Hamas leader in Lebanon sends tension spiking across Middle East". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  34. ^ "UN chief urged maximum restraint following assassination of Hamas deputy chief in Lebanon". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  35. ^ "Hamas blames Israel for 'cowardly assassination' of deputy leader Saleh al Arouri". Sky News. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  36. ^ a b c d "IRAN UPDATE, JANUARY 3, 2024".
  37. ^ "الجماعة الاسلامية". www.al-jamaa.org. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  38. ^ a b Guldogan, Diyar (2024-01-03). "Protests held in Palestine, Lebanon after killing of Hamas deputy chief". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
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