Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy chairman of Hamas’ political bureau, was killed in an explosion in the neighborhood of Dahieh in southern Beirut this evening (Tuesday), Arabic and Hezbollah media sources reported.
Al-Arouri was considered the 'number two' of the terrorist organization under Ismail Haniyeh and was responsible for terrorist activity in Judea and Samaria. He once admitted Hamas' responsibility for the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers in 2014. He was close to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
According to one report, Al-Arouri was killed in a strike on an apartment building by an Israeli drone. Videos from the scene show nearby vehicles set on fire from the blast.
Two other people were reportedly killed in the blast, which occurred while al-Arouri was reportedly in a meeting with other terrorist operatives from Hamas and Hezbollah. According to reports, one of the operatives who was killed in the strike together with al-Arouri was Khalil al-Hayya, a senior member of the Hamas political wing.
The Prime Minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati, reacted to the assassination and said: "The explosion in Dahieh is an Israeli crime aimed at dragging Lebanon into a new phase of conflict. It casts a shadow on Lebanon and is a clear response to our efforts to distance the fighting spirit in Gaza from Lebanon."
In the past, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was asked what Israel's red line is in the face of Hezbollah's attacks, and replied: "If you hear that we attacked in Beirut, it means that Hezbollah has crossed the red line."
Earlier today, two anti-tank missiles struck the town of Shlomi in northern Israel. One missile exploded near a high-rise building and caused property damage.
Shlomi Mayor Gabi Naaman said: “This is a very serious incident and miraculously no physical damage was caused to the residents. The [attack] this morning illustrates the great danger of the current situation for the residents of Shlomi. We will not agree to live in this situation.