Saleh al Arouri, the Hamas deputy chief who was killed, was buried on Thursday in Beirut’s Palestinian camp, Shatila, in front of throngs and volleys firing gunfire.
Arouri, who was meeting with Hamas-allied Palestinians and Lebanese, was killed by a drone attack on a southern Beirut suburb on Tuesday. The area is a stronghold for the Hezbollah armed group.
Israel, Hamas’s sworn enemy, was widely blamed for the attack. Israel, the country that has destroyed the Gaza Strip as part of a war to eliminate Hamas, the group that controls the enclave has not confirmed or denied the death of Arouri.
All seven attendees of the Beirut meeting were killed. The strike caused the bodies of many, including Arouri’s, to be blown apart, complicating burial preparations.
Two Palestinians who died alongside Arouri, a Qassam Brigades member and another Palestinian, were buried at the Shatila Martyrs Cemetery, which is a graveyard for Palestinians including civilians, politicians and combatants.
As the funeral procession moved to the cemetery, heavy gunfire was heard. This drowned out the chants “Allahu akbar” (God Is Greatest) of mourners holding Palestinian flags or those of Hamas’ ally Islamic Jihad.
The mourners shouted “Abu Obeida bomb Tel Aviv,” addressing him by name as the Gaza spokesman for the Hamas’ military wing.
Aruri, along with six other Hamas leaders were killed by a Hezbollah-backed attack on a stronghold in south Beirut.
Hamas officials and Lebanese government security officials have accused Israel of the attack. One high-ranking Lebanese official has said that guided missiles were used.
Oman Ghannum tells AFP that “the assassination Saleh al Aruri or any other Palestinian leader is a failure act, because the resistance will continue producing new leaders.”
Israel hasn’t commented on reports that it was behind the explosion, but reports indicate they were responsible. Israel’s Mossad, the intelligence service of Israel, has also made previous comments vowing to hunt down all Hamas members involved in the 7th October attack.
