Lebanon’s prime minister calls the attack a crime and warns of an escalation of the conflict.
Israel has killed the deputy leader of the Hamas terrorist organization, the commander Saleh al-Arourin In the airstrike on Lebanon on Tuesday.
Hamas has confirmed the attack and characterized it as a “brutal assassination”, Reuters news agency reported.
According to Lebanese state media, Israel struck a Hamas office in the southern parts of the capital Beirut, killing a total of six people. According to the sources of the AFP news agency, the others who died in the attack were al-Arour’s bodyguards.
Israel has so far not commented on the events.
The night before Monday, Israeli armed forces destroyed and blew up a house owned by al-Arour in the West Bank. Al-Arouri has been considered the de facto leader of Hamas’ military wing in the West Bank, The Times of Israel writes.
The Prime Minister condemns the attack
Israel and the Hezbollah group operating from Lebanon have clashed in the border area after the start of Israeli hostilities in the Gaza Strip. Israel has repeatedly warned Lebanon not to oppose the Israelis.
Israel has so far refrained from striking deeper into the Lebanese border areas. Hezbollah said earlier today that it had carried out several attacks against Israeli forces in the border area.
Prime Minister of Lebanon Najib Mikati has condemned Israel’s attack on Tuesday, characterizing it as a crime. According to the prime minister, the purpose of the attack is to lure Lebanon into the war between Israel and Hamas.
Source: Reuters, AP, AFP