Hezbollah threatens revenge against Israel after air strike kills senior Hamas leader

In response to the Israeli strike that killed senior Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut, Hezbollah, a terrorist organisation based in Lebanon, issued a warning on Tuesday, saying that the “crime would not go unpunished” and launched multiple cross-border operations on northern Israel.

The comments were made as the conflict looks to be escalating outside the Gaza Strip by Hezbollah, which has targeted Israel numerous times since the conflict began on October 8.

“We affirm that this crime will never pass without response and punishment. The criminal enemy — which after ninety days of crime, killing and destruction was unable to subjugate Gaza — is resorting to a policy of assassination… of… whoever planned, carried out or supported,” Hezbollah said in a statement.

In the meantime, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari stated that in response to threats from Hezbollah and Hamas, the military was prepared to handle any eventuality.

“The IDF is at a very high level of readiness, in all arenas, in defense and offense. We are in a high state of readiness for any scenario,” he said.

Officials from Hamas and Hezbollah announced on Tuesday that Arouri perished in an explosion in Beirut that was purportedly triggered by an Israeli attack. According to the state-run National News Agency of Lebanon, an Israeli drone was used to carry out the explosion, which claimed four lives.

Arouri had led Hamas’s presence in the West Bank and was one of the group’s founders in the military branch. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, had made threats to murder him before to the start of the Hamas-Israel conflict on October 7. Danny Danon, a former Israeli ambassador to the UN, commended the Israeli security and intelligence services for what he claimed to be Arouri’s “assassination” on Tuesday.

(With agency inputs)

The 57-year-old Arouri has become the first senior Hamas political leader to be assassinated since Israel launched a shattering air and ground offensive against Gaza’s Hamas rulers almost three months ago after the group’s shock rampage into Israeli towns.