One Israeli drone near a Hamas office in the southern suburbs of Beirut was hit killing six people including Hamas’ number 2: the deputy head of the so-called Politburo of the political wing of the Palestinian organization, Saleh al-Arouri. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati denounced the Israeli attack as “a crime”. In a statement he stated that “this new Israeli crime aims to drag Lebanon into a new phase of confrontation” with Israel. Clashes between the Israeli army and Lebanese Hezbollah, allies of Hamas, have so far been limited to border areas in southern Lebanon
Egypt has frozen its role as mediator with the Palestinian factions to seek a solution to the war in the Gaza Strip, after the assassination of Hamas’ number two. This was reported by Palestinian and Egyptian sources. According to the sources, the Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements also informed Cairo of the suspension of negotiations with Israel for a ceasefire. So far, Egypt has not formally communicated this step.
“General strike” in the West Bank following al-Arouri’s killing
Shops, schools and institutions closed in the West Bank today where the Palestinians convened one general strike to “mourn the death of Saleh al-Arouri”. As Al-Jazeera reports, the Palestinians “have no doubt who killed al-Arouri and that it was an assassination.” Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the action. Al-Arouri was originally from the West Bank and people, Al-Jazeera reports, think Israel murdered him “to show a victory to his people while it cannot guarantee a victory in the Gaza Strip.” Al-Arouri’s house in Arura was blown up by Israeli forces in late October.
Tajani: do everything possible to reduce tension
“Everything must be done to reduce tension” in the Middle East and the Red Sea and “we hope that common sense will prevail in everyone, in Tehran, as in Jerusalem”. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said this in an interview with Rainews24.
Hezbollah: Arouri’s assassination will not go unpunished
Hezbollah, the pro-Iranian Lebanese group allied with Hamas, ensured that the “assassination”Of al-Arouri “will not go unpunished”. “The crime of the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri in the heart of the southern suburbs of Beirut is a serious aggression against Lebanon and will not go unanswered or unpunished”, reads a statement from Hezbollah, which has launched attacks every day for three months against Israel from southern Lebanon.
Haniyeh: Hamas will never be defeated
Hamas “will never be defeated”, said the leader of the Palestinian movement, Ismail Haniyeh, after the death of his deputy. “A movement whose leaders and founders fall as martyrs for the dignity of our people and our nation will never be defeated – declared Haniyeh in a televised speech – It is the history of the resistance and of the movement which, after the assassination of its leader, becomes even stronger and more determined”.
Iran: Israel’s terrorism threatens regional security
Iran has once again condemned what it defines as the “martyrdom” in Lebanon of Hamas number two, Saleh al-Arouri, pointing the finger at “the cowardly terrorist operation” of the “Zionist regime”. “For the martyrdom of al-Arouri and some of his companions, I offer my condolences to Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of Hamas, to the members of the liberation movement and to the heroic nation of Palestine,” he wrote in Tehran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian.
“Such a cowardly terrorist operation,” the message continues, “demonstrates that the Zionist regime has achieved none of its objectives, after weeks of war crimes, genocide and destruction in Gaza and the West Bank, despite the direct support of the White House “. “The evil activity of this regime’s terrorist machine constitutes a serious alarm for the security of all countries in the region”, warns the head of Iranian diplomacy.
Macron to Israel: avoid escalation especially in Lebanon
The French president, Emmanuel Macron called on Israel to avoid escalation, “particularly in Lebanon”. Macron, who spoke by phone with Israeli minister and war cabinet member Benny Gantz, said that “it is essential to avoid any attitude of escalation, especially in Lebanon” and that France will continue to convey these messages to all actors directly or indirectly involved in the area”.
Borrell: Peace can only be imposed from the outside
“The two sides will never be able to reach an agreement. Peace can only be achieved in a lasting way if the international community engages dramatically in its realization and imposes a solution”, declared the EU High Representative for foreign policy, Joseph Borrell, during an event in Lisbon talking about the war between Israel and Gaza. The head of European diplomacy warned that if the conflict is not resolved “soon”, “the entire Middle East will be engulfed in flames”.