Israeli drone attacks in Lebanon kill Hamas’ third-highest leader

Palestinian armed group Hamas’ third-highest leader, Saleh al-Arouri, was reportedly killed on Tuesday by Israeli drone attacks on the outskirts of the Lebanese capital city of Beirut. An intense backlash came after the first assassination of Hamas leadership made by Israel not in the group’s stronghold of the Gaza Strip but in another country.

Hamas made an immediate response, declaring that it would walk right out of the ongoing negotiations over a ceasefire. Lebanon-based Shia armed wing Hezbollah, supportive of Hamas, and the Iranian government, which sponsors Hezbollah and Hamas, also pledged to retaliate.

Since the turn of the year, Israel has considered low-intensity missions while planning on downsizing some troops in the Gaza area. However, the recent airstrikes have left it with more significant risks of dealing with extended frontlines up to Lebanon. Likewise, it is bad news for Washington as it does not want to see the war in the Middle East last longer.

Reuters reported that Israeli drones carried out attacks on an office run by Hamas south out of Beirut at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, killing six Hamas leaders, including Arouri. Serving as Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s deputy aide, he was considered the third highest leader following Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, who masterminded the current war.

As he stayed in Lebanon and worked as a contact point between Hamas and Hezbollah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially declared to remove him even before the war took place last October.

Haniyeh immediately swore to fight back, saying that he would end all kinds of ongoing negotiations with Israel to discuss a ceasefire and the release of hostages. He notified mediators such as Egypt and Qatar of his announcement as well.

The Iranian foreign affairs ministry stated that the killing of Arouri reignited the flames of opponents of the Zionist regime (Israel) that assassinated him. In the meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati stated that he would submit an emergency complaint to the United Nations Security Council because Israel violated Lebanese sovereignty.

The shoulders of Washington are getting heavier as the frontlines are likely to be extended to Lebanon while it has called Israel to take low-intensity action. The Biden administration has made a behind-the-scenes effort to ensure that Israel and Hezbollah stop exchanging gunshots with the aim of growing a diplomatic presence with the presidential election scheduled this November in mind.


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