Israel is prepared for 'all scenarios' after Al-Arouri's assassination in Lebanon

The Israeli army confirmed its readiness for "all scenarios" after being accused by Hamas of killing one of its prominent leaders, Saleh Al-Arouri, in a strike near Beirut. The Lebanese Hezbollah party threatened that this would not pass without "punishment," amid fears of the Gaza war expanding. 

Al-Arouri, along with six others, including leaders in the military wing of Hamas, was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting a Hamas office in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday, according to the latter. 

Al-Arouri was the deputy head of the political bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and one of the founders of its military wing (the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades) in the occupied West Bank. His assassination is the first to target a Hamas leader outside Palestinian territories since the outbreak of the war between the movement and Israel in October. 

Israel did not directly comment on the operation. However, its army spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, said in a press conference on Tuesday evening that his forces are "on alert (...) defensively and offensively. We are ready for all scenarios." 

He added, "The most important thing we say tonight is that we are focusing on fighting Hamas and continuing to focus on that," without directly addressing the killing of Al-Arouri in Lebanon. 

Hamas's political bureau chief, Ismail Haniyeh, affirmed that the movement "will not be defeated." 

Speaking from Doha, where he resides, Haniyeh said, "A movement whose leaders and founders are martyrs for the dignity of our people and our nation will never be defeated. These targeting incidents make it stronger, more resilient, and more determined. This is the history of resistance and the movement after the assassination of its leaders; it becomes stronger and more determined." 

The killing of Al-Arouri occurred in an area considered a stronghold for Hezbollah, which has a close relationship with Hamas within the framework of what is known as the "Axis of Resistance" led by Iran in the Middle East.  

The assassination came at a time when the borders between Israel and Lebanon have witnessed daily exchanges of shelling between the party and the Israeli state, with fears and threats of it expanding into a comprehensive war. 

Hezbollah confirmed in a statement that the killing of Al-Arouri is a "serious development." 

It stated, "We consider the assassination crime of Sheikh Saleh Al-Arouri and his martyr companions in the heart of the southern suburbs of Beirut a serious assault on Lebanon, its people, security, sovereignty, and resistance... a serious development in the course of the war between the enemy and the Axis of Resistance." 

It added, "We confirm that this crime will never pass without a response and punishment. Our resistance is committed, steadfast, loyal to its principles and commitments, which it has pledged to itself, its hand on the trigger, and its fighters in the highest state of readiness and preparedness." 

Hezbollah's Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, who is expected to speak at a pre-scheduled event, had previously warned Israel that the party would respond to any targeting of leaders in the "Axis of Resistance" on Lebanese territory. 

AFP