While Israel’s military declined to comment on reports of a targeted killing of Saleh al-Aruri, Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia announced retaliation on Tuesday evening: “This crime will never pass without response or punishment.”
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that progress towards reaching a hostage deal is no longer possible, citing Arab diplomatic circles. The talks now focused on preventing an escalation between Israel and Lebanon, the Israeli newspaper reported on Tuesday evening, citing Arab diplomatic circles. The “assassination” changed the situation.
The deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau was killed in an explosion in Lebanon’s capital Beirut, as the German Press Agency learned from Hezbollah circles on Tuesday evening. According to Hamas, which is allied with Hezbollah, a total of seven people died, including two leaders of Hamas’ armed wing. The terrorist organization immediately blamed Israel.
Al-Aruri had long been considered a possible attack target
Al-Aruri, whom Israel saw as the mastermind of attacks in the West Bank, had long been considered a possible target. He is said to have been responsible for the activities of the Hamas military wing in the West Bank. However, Israel took no responsibility for al-Aruri’s killing, as Israeli government security advisor Mark Regev emphasized.
Whoever did this, it must be clear that this was not an attack on the Lebanese state. “It wasn’t even an attack on Hezbollah,” Regev told the US television station MSNBC in an apparent effort to defuse the explosive situation. The alleged attack was aimed solely at Hamas.
Macron: “Avoid any escalating behavior”
French President Emmanuel Macron called on the Israeli government to “avoid any escalatory behavior, especially in Lebanon.” The Elysee Palace in Paris announced this on Tuesday evening following Macron’s phone call with Benny Gantz, minister in Israel’s war cabinet, according to media reports. France will continue to convey these messages of restraint to all actors directly or indirectly involved in the area, it said.
Since the beginning of the Gaza war following the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7th, there have been repeated confrontations between Israel’s army and Hezbollah in the Israeli-Lebanese border region. There were deaths on both sides. There are fears that the killing of al-Aruri might now escalate the conflict. There might be indications of this this Wednesday – in a speech planned for the evening by Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah.
Its fighters are “at the highest level of readiness,” Hezbollah said on Tuesday. According to their own statements, the militia carried out their first attack on a group of Israeli soldiers near the border that evening. There were deaths and injuries. According to Israeli media reports, the army is now expecting rocket fire from longer ranges. The Shiite Hezbollah is considered to be significantly more powerful than Hamas.
