Sheikh Saleh Al-Arouri was the Deputy Head of the Political Bureau of Hamas.
Hezbollah statement in response:
We consider the assassination of Sheikh Saleh Al-Arouri and his martyred companions in the heart of the southern suburb of Beirut a dangerous attack on Lebanon, its people, its security, its sovereignty, and its resistance. It carries deeply significant political and security messages and implications, and is a dangerous development in the course of the war between the enemy and the Axis of Resistance.
We in Hezbollah affirm that this crime will undoubtedly not go unanswered and unpunished. Our resistance remains firm, proud, and faithful to its principles and commitments that it has made to itself, ready with its hand on the trigger and its fighters at the highest level of readiness and preparedness.
I think they’re are hoping to kick off another conflict, this time with Hezbollah, so that they can commit a genocide in Lebanon while there’s still US political cover, as well as be able to prolong Bibi Netanyahu’s power since all the investigations against him are really on hold until “the crisis is over”