The destroyed Hamas’ office that was attacked by Israel on 02 January killing Palestinian leader Saleh al-Arouri and six others pictured from shattered glass in Beirut southern suburb.
Marwan Naamnai | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
The killing of senior Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in Lebanon’s capital of Beirut has sparked fears that the war in Gaza could spread beyond the Palestinian enclave.
Al-Arouri, the deputy political head of Hamas, was killed Tuesday alongside six other members of the Palestinian militant group after his home in southern Beirut was reportedly targeted by a drone strike.
Lebanon has claimed Israel is responsible for the blast and accused Israel of trying to drag Beirut into a regional war.
Israel has not claimed responsibility for the strike, while an advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described it as a “surgical” hit on Hamas, rather than an attack on Lebanon.
A spokesperson for Israel’s military has said it was “highly prepared for any scenario” after the assassination of al-Arouri.
Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, a British think tank, said Wednesday that the Beirut strike had certainly increased the risk of opening up another front in the Israel-Hamas war.
“This attack, which is believed to be attributed obviously to the Israeli government, could lead to a more decisive Hezbollah response,” Vakil told CNBC’s “Street Signs Europe.”
“And I think that is perhaps what the Israeli government is trying to achieve: To goad Hezbollah into a broader war but also to demonstrate that its intent to go after broader Hamas leadership everywhere is indeed being met with reality.”
Vakil said, however, that Hezbollah was unlikely to try to respond to the Beirut blast in a meaningful way, adding that the Lebanese militant group is “much more cautious as an entity.” The drone strike, she added, appeared to demonstrate Hezbollah’s weakness and Israel’s military intelligence.
“Looking through…
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