Arouri was considered one of the founding members of the group’s military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and was based in Beirut.
Two other leaders from Hamas’ military wing, Samir Findi Abu Amer and Azzam Al-Aqraa Abu Ammar, were among those killed in the strike, according to Hamas officials.
Israeli government spokesperson Mark Regev said that Israel had "not taken responsibility" for the attack. During an interview with MSNBC, the senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had "seen the reports" about the attack.
7:58 p.m. ET, January 2, 2024
What we know about the senior Hamas leader killed in the Beirut attack. Catch up on the latest
From CNN’s Abeer Salman and AnneClaire Stapleton
People search for survivors inside an apartment following a massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, on January 2. (Hassan Ammar/AP)
Hamas said Tuesday that one of its senior officials was killed in an attack in southern Beirut. Saleh Mohammed Suleiman Al-Arouri was a prominent Palestinian political and military leader whom Israel considers one of the key founders of the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, in the occupied West Bank.
A member of Hamas since 1987, he began establishing and organizing a military apparatus for the movement in the West Bank in 1991-1992, which contributed to the actual launch of the Al-Qassam Brigades in the West Bank in 1992.
He was the former deputy head of the Political Bureau of Hamas and had a hand in negotiating the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011, in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
He had been repeatedly detained by Israel, including for long periods between 1985 and 1992, and from 1992 to 2007, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations. In 2010 he was deported by Israel to Syria where he lived for three years before moving to Turkey, and then from there to Lebanon.
Here are the latest developments:
Israel not claiming responsibility: Israel has "not taken responsibility" for the attack that killed a senior Hamas figure in Lebanon, a top official said Tuesday. During an interview with MSNBC, Mark Regev, who is a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said "Israel has not taken responsibility for this attack. But whoever did it must be clear that this was not an attack on the Lebanese state. It was not an attack even on Hezbollah," Regev said. Meanwhile, a former ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, praised Israeli security agencies for the “assassination” of Arouri and Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari skirted a question from a reporter on the death of the senior Hamas leader.
Hamas and Houthis react to Beirut attack: Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, mourned the death of Arouri, calling the attack in Lebanon a "terrorist act." The Yemeni rebel forces known as the Houthis have also condemned the killing, calling it a "cowardly crime." In a statement, the group's political bureau accused Israel of carrying out the attack which killed senior Hamas official Saleh Al-Arouri.
Gaza death toll rises: Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed at least22,185 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intensifies its military campaign in the central part of the territory. CNN is unable to independently confirm the figures provided by the health ministry in Gaza due to restricted access to the region and the difficulty in verifying accurate numbers amidst the ongoing war.
Israeli military adjusts operations in Gaza: The Israeli Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, said on a visit to the Gaza Strip that Israel's military operations in the enclave will continue for some time but will change as it assesses the situation. “The feeling that we will stop soon is incorrect — without a clear victory, we will not be able to live in the Middle East," the official said.
Israel will appear before ICJ: The State of Israel will appear before the International Court of Justice at The Hague “to dispel South Africa's absurd blood libel,” Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy said in a news briefing Tuesday, referring to South Africa’s claim that Israel is committing genocide in its war against Hamas.
US Senate delegation plans to meet with Netanyahu: A bipartisan group of United States senators will travel to the Middle East Tuesday night to meet with senior Israeli officials to discuss the state of the Israel-Hamas war. The lawmakers are members of the Senate Intelligence Committee. They are also expected to talk with Netanyahu and leaders in Arab countries during the visit, according to Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
In a statement, the group's political bureau accused Israel of carrying out the attack which killed senior Hamas official Saleh Al-Arouri.
Israel has denied responsibility for the attack with Mark Regev, the senior advisor to the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahi, telling NBC News that Israel had "no comment" on Tuesday's events in Beirut.
In their statement, the Houthis described Arouri's killing as a "brutal and cowardly crime."
The group described Arouri as a "leader" of Palestinian resistance, expressing support for avenging action to be taken against Israel.
More background: The Houthis and Hamas share a backer in the Iranian government, which widely suspected of providing extensive assistance to both groups.
7:02 p.m. ET, January 2, 2024
Hamas political leader calls "cowardly assassination" of Saleh Al-Arouri a "terrorist act"
From CNN's Jonny Hallam
Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, mourned the death of senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri, calling the attack in Lebanon a "terrorist act."
In a televised speech, Haniyeh condemned Arouri's killing as a "cowardly assassination" and blamed Israel for the deadly strike.
Haniyeh also mourned the deaths of two leaders from Hamas' military wing, the Qassam Brigades, Samir Findi Abu Amer and Azzam Al-Aqraa Abu Ammar, who were killed in the same strike.
Despite the assassinations, Haniyeh said Hamas would never be defeated.
"A movement whose leaders and founders fall as martyrs for the dignity of our people and our nation will never be defeated," Haniyeh said.
Israel has not confirmed it was behind Tuesday's deadly attack in Dahieh, a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital.
"Israel has not taken responsibility for this attack," Mark Regev, a senior advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu said in an interview with MSNBC. "But whoever did it must be clear that this was not an attack on the Lebanese state. It was not an attack even on Hezbollah."
6:01 p.m. ET, January 2, 2024
US State Department denounces comments by far-right Israeli officials on resettlement of Palestinians
From CNN’s Jennifer Hansler
The exterior of the State Department building is seen in March of 2023, in Washington. Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The US State Department on Tuesday rejected comments by far-right Israeli officials —Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir — calling for the resettlement of Gazans outside of Gaza, denouncing them as "inflammatory and irresponsible."
"We have been told repeatedly and consistently by the Government of Israel, including by the Prime Minister, that such statements do not reflect the policy of the Israeli government. They should stop immediately," State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said in a statement.
Miller noted in the statement that the department has been "clear, consistent, and unequivocal that Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain Palestinian land, with Hamas no longer in control of its future and with no terror groups able to threaten Israel."
"That is the future we seek, in the interests of Israelis and Palestinians, the surrounding region, and the world," he said.
The State Department’s comments come after Israeli cabinet ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition made remarks advocating for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza.
On Sunday, Smotrich, called for Palestinian residents to leave the Gaza strip, making way for Israelis who could "make the desert bloom," according to Reuters.
Ben Gvir expressed support for resettling Palestinians from the Gaza Strip abroad, declaring that the war presents an “opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza” during a political meeting.
CNN’s Jonny Hallam contributed to this report.
4:19 p.m. ET, January 2, 2024
Israeli finance minister claims all of Israel’s enemies will "perish"
From CNN's Lauren Izso and Tara John
In a seemingly a veiled reference to the killing of a senior Hamas leader on Tuesday, Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote on his official social media platforms that all of Israel’s enemies will “perish.”
His comment comes after Hamas said Tuesday that one of its senior officials had been killed in an attack in southern Beirut. Saleh Al-Arouri was a prominent Palestinian political and military leader whom Israel considers one of the key founders of the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, in the occupied West Bank.
4:13 p.m. ET, January 2, 2024
Israeli military spokesperson skirts question on death of senior Hamas leader in Lebanon
From CNN’s Sugam Pokharel
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari skirted a question from a reporter on the death of senior Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in an alleged Israeli strike in Beirut on Tuesday.
“We are focused on fighting against Hamas,” Hagari said, responding to the question during his daily press briefing. “The IDF is in a very high state of readiness in all arenas, in defense and offense. We are highly prepared for any scenario,” Hagari said.
His remarks came after Hamas said Tuesday that Arouri — one of its senior officials — had been killed in an attack in southern Beirut that it blamed on a "treacherous Zionist airstrike." Arouri was a prominent Palestinian political and military leader whom Israel considers one of the key founders of the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, in the occupied West Bank.
“We are focused on the war against Hamas. There is terrorist activity by Hamas in different arenas,” Hagari said when asked what Israel knows about the nature of “weapons that Hamas has in Lebanon.”
3:53 p.m. ET, January 2, 2024
Netanyahu adviser says Israel has "not taken responsibility" for attack on Hamas official in Lebanon
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy in Dublin
Israel had "not taken responsibility" for the attack that killed a senior Hamas figure in Lebanon, a top official said Tuesday.
During an interview with MSNBC, Mark Regev, who is a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said he had "seen the reports" about the attack which killed senior Hamas official, Saleh Al-Arouri.
"Israel has not taken responsibility for this attack. But whoever did it must be clear that this was not an attack on the Lebanese state. It was not an attack even on Hezbollah," Regev said. "Whoever did this did a surgical strike against the Hamas leadership."
Regev said that although individuals who kill Israelis "can expect the Israeli state and the Israeli armed forces to ultimately reach them," this rather is a "general statement" of Israel's policy. "It's got nothing to do with this current situation, this specific situation in Beirut which I have no comment on," Regev said.
It is "very clear" that whoever had masterminded the attack "has a gripe with Hamas" itself, he added.
3:26 p.m. ET, January 2, 2024
Blast in Beirut risks triggering a wider war
Analysis from CNN’s Tamara Qiblawi
Damage from an Israeli drone strike is seen in Beirut on Tuesday. Marwan Tahtah/Getty Images
A blown-out building in the Lebanese capital flashed on local TV channels as plumes of black smoke billowed into the sky.
The Israeli military has not yet responded to CNN’s request for comment on the reports. If true, Arouri would be the most senior Hamas official killed by Israeli forces since the start of the war sparked by the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
In addition to dealing a blow to Hamas’ leadership, the apparent attack also risks further broadening the arena of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
It would mark the biggest Israeli strike on the Lebanese capital since the 2006 war between the two countries.
The apparent strike hit a popular neighborhood in Beirut’s southern suburbs, which are also a stronghold of Iran-backed Hezbollah. It reportedly struck a Hamas office, killing Arouri — one of the founders of the group’s military wing — during a meeting.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati called it a “new Israeli crime that aims to drag Lebanon into a new phrase in confrontations,” referring to the ongoing, months-long tit-for-tat conflict between Hezbollah and Israeli forces in the Lebanon-Israel border region.
For nearly three months, the fighting has largely stayed within a roughly four-kilometer range of the border region, with Hezbollah striking Israel while Israel struck Lebanon.
It seemed to teeter on the precipice of a full-scale war between Israel and the Middle East’s most powerful paramilitary, Hezbollah, but fell short of sparking the conflict that the United States and other Western countries feared.
That may have changed on Tuesday afternoon, as the rules of engagement seemed to suddenly shift with the blast in Beirut.
During a televised address last summer, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah warned against Israeli assassinations in Lebanon, saying that they would inspire a “strong response” from the militant group.
"Any attack on Lebanese territories no matter the nationality or the faction (of those targeted) … will definitely trigger a strong response,” said Nasrallah in an August 2023 speech, adding that the group would try to prevent Lebanon from becoming an “arena for assassinations," invoking the country’s tumultuous past.In two speeches delivered since October 7, Nasrallah repeatedly raised the specter of an all-out war with Israel.
The speeches were fiery, but ultimately seemed to suggest that Hezbollah was intent on restricting their fight to the border area.
The fighting has since intensified and Israeli officials have threatened to ramp up their attacks on Hezbollah. Hezbollah has not yet released a statement about Tuesday’s incident, and it has not responded to CNN’s request for comment.
Nasrallah is expected to deliver a televised address on Wednesday in a speech that was scheduled last month. Observers will be watching it closely for signs of escalation.
