The Killing of the Most Important Leader of Hamas, Saleh al-Arari, Who May Cause the Spread of War in the Middle East
The shadow cast over the Middle East and beyond by the Israel-Gaza war deepened this week after the death of Hamas leader Saleh al-Aruri in Lebanon.
Al-Aruri was the deputy political leader of Hamas who was killed in a drone strike in South Beirut. He was a key leader in the al-Qassam Brigades, a Hamas armed group, and considered a close associate of Hamas leader Ismail Haniya. He was in Lebanon to liaise between Hezbollah and Hamas.
Even before the start of the Gaza war, which began on October 7, the head of Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hassan Nasrallah, warned that any attack on Lebanese soil would result in a “strong reaction”.
However, Hizbollah and its Iranian allies know that whatever their reaction in this regard could change the direction of this war and perhaps the fate of Hizbollah.
It was no secret that Hamas leaders outside Gaza had been targeted for some time.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned in November that Israel would “target Hamas leaders wherever they are.”
A few months ago, Netanyahu took the name of al-Aruri. The deputy leader of Hamas was part of the US terrorist list and as of 2018, a $500,000,000 bounty was placed on his head.
Israel usually neither confirms nor denies these types of targeted killings, but the conflict is rife with targeted killings. There is also a tradition of retaliation in this conflict, usually in response to such incidents.
Israel will now be ready for a strong reaction. Hamas leaders and their allies are calling for an immediate armed response and these voices are also being heard from the streets of occupied West Jordan.
Hezbollah and Hamas will have to do something and be seen doing it. In the first statement issued by Hezbollah, patience is advised.
Previously, this armed and political force has limited itself to giving only verbal reactions to the Gaza war and has also carried out sporadic attacks on Israel’s southern border. This limited response is intended to prevent Lebanon from being drawn into another costly war.
However, the killing of a Hamas leader in a residential area of South Beirut who was acting as a bridge between Hezbollah and Iran in this situation has angered Hezbollah.
However, Hezbollah may now be weighing its options between immediate attacks and the long game.
In Lebanon, the group’s support is strong in the southern regions, but memories of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war in Beirut and its north are still fresh in the minds of many, and the country is still reeling from multiple crises of its own. are created.
It is also no secret that senior Israeli leaders have long wanted to end the Hezbollah threat in the north. However, the situation in the north of Israel is currently under control and a large number of Israeli troops are currently deployed in Gaza and West Jordan.
Israel’s closest ally is the United States, which has repeatedly warned against launching a war against Hezbollah because of the far-reaching consequences.
However, since the killing of al-Aroori and six others, including two Hamas military commanders, tensions have risen in the region. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels are targeting Israeli ships in the Red Sea.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant recently named the seven countries that are targeting Israel. These include Yemen, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.
Western capitals are now urging Lebanese politicians to act with courage as the threat of a wider war grows.
However, Israel has been very clear about this from the beginning. Its war objective is the ‘destruction of Hamas’. This means complete elimination of its infrastructure, armed wing, political leaders and financial resources.
However, three months later, Israel believes that there is still a long war ahead.
Israel’s enemies and friends alike are questioning whether Hamas can be destroyed by military force, and a war that has resulted in large numbers of civilian casualties has fueled further grief and anger among the Palestinian people.
Many of the Hamas leaders who planned the October 7 attack on Israel, including Yahya Sinwar, are still believed to be hiding somewhere in Gaza.
After al-Aroori’s death in Lebanon, Turkey and Qatar will also be wary of where Hamas leaders are based and believe they are safe there.
It is also a difficult moment for Israeli families whose loved ones are still being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.
The first casualties since the high-profile killings have stalled talks in Cairo over the exchange of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails and hostages held by Hamas.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has been repeatedly stressing that ‘only increasing pressure will lead to success.’
Israel has now increased the pressure.