JERUSALEM, Israel – A drone strike Tuesday night in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh Ahrouri and five other people.
The Lebanese state-run National News Agency blamed the explosion on Israel. Israeli officials declined to comment on what was described in Israel’s media as the most dramatic assassination in years.
Arouri was one of the founders of the Hamas military wing, the Izzadin-al-Qassam Brigades and was a top official in the entire Hamas organization. He had been operating out of Lebanon as a guest of Hezbollah since the war in Gaza began.
His death came on day 88 of the Israel-Hamas war.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the Israel Defense Forces chief spokesman, didn’t mention the assassination, but made it clear Israel’s battle is against Hamas.
“The IDF is in a very high rate of readiness in all arenas, in defense and in offense,” Hagarii stated Tuesday. “We are highly prepared for any scenario. The most important thing to say tonight is that we are focused and remain focused on fighting Hamas.”
Palestinians took to the streets in the West Bank city of Ramallah, protesting Arouri’s death and calling on Hezbollah to take action.
In a statement, former Israeli intellgence
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