Saleh al-Arouri: Hamas leader embraces martyrdom in Israel drone strike

BEIRUT: An Israeli drone struck a Hamas office in the southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital Beirut on Tuesday, killing four people including Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri, Middle East Eye reported.

Saleh al-Arouri, who embraced martyrdom in the attack, was a founding member of the armed wing of Hamas.

The Manar television station of Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group which has a stronghold in the area, said an explosion was heard near the Hadi Nasrallah highway close to a road junction.

It gave no details of the explosion, which comes a day before a speech by Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

A Reuters witness said the explosion may have been caused by a drone that hit the second floor of a building in the crowded neighbourhood.

Hezbollah, an ally of Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israel across Lebanon’s southern frontier since the eruption of the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza in early October.

Israeli air strikes and shelling have killed more than 100 Hezbollah fighters and nearly two dozen civilians, including children, elderly and several journalists, according to Hezbollah and security sources.