Assassination of Hamas commander increases concerns of war

The situation in the Middle East has gotten worse since the Israel-Gaza war started. This got even worse when Saleh al-Arouri, a leader of Hamas, was killed in Lebanon.

Arouri, a top leader of Hamas, was killed by a drone in southern Beirut. He was an important person in the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, which is the armed part of Hamas. He was also a good friend of Ismail Haniyeh, who is the leader of Hamas. He was in Lebanon to help his group communicate with Hezbollah.

Even before the war started, the leader of Lebanese Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, said that if there was an attack on Lebanon, they would fight back strongly.

However, Hezbollah and its Iranian friends know that how they respond to the current conflict could greatly impact the outcome of the war and the success of Hezbollah.

It was not a surprise that Hamas leaders outside Gaza were going to be targeted.

Israel will hunt down and attack Hamas leaders no matter where they are. In November, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a warning.

A few months ago, he clearly talked about Arouri. The second leader of Hamas was also on the US list of terrorists and there was a reward of $5 million on his head since 2018.

Israel usually does not say if they killed someone on purpose, but in this ongoing conflict, there have been many planned killings. It’s also a story of payback and getting back at someone.

Israel will now be prepared for counterattacks. Hamas leaders and their friends are asking for support from the West Bank and other places.

Hezbollah and Hamas need to take action and show it to others.

Hezbollah’s first message asked people to be patient.

Up until now, this strong military and political group has been using words and small attacks at the border to avoid getting Lebanon involved in a big fight.

The Hamas official who had ties to Hezbollah and Iran was killed in a neighbourhood in Beirut. This has affected their plans. However, it needs to consider quick, impressive actions now, compared to its overall strategy for the future.

It has a lot of support along the dangerous southern border of Lebanon. However, in Beirut and other places, people still have strong memories of the destructive 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon. This country is currently facing many of its own problems.

Many Israeli leaders have wanted to use this chance to get rid of Hezbollah and its threats to the northern towns for a long time.

There has been fighting on this front, but it has been limited. Israeli forces are spread thin in Gaza and the West Bank.

The US, Israel’s biggest supporter, has also warned many times against starting a war with Hezbollah, because it could have serious consequences.

The recent crisis started with the killing of Arouri and six others, including two Hamas military leaders. This happened during a time of growing tension in other areas, such as the Red Sea shipping lanes. The Iran-backed Houthis have been attacking ships they believe are connected to Israel.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israel is under attack from seven different areas, such as Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq.

Many people are asking for everyone to calm down and not make the situation worse, including leaders from the West, politicians in Lebanon, and UN peacekeepers. They are all very worried that the fighting could spread and become a bigger war.
But Israel has been very clear from the beginning.

Its goal is to “eliminate Hamas”. This means attacking its buildings, military and government leaders, and money.

After almost three months, it says there is still a lot more to do.

Many people in Israel and around the world are wondering if Hamas can be defeated by using military force and causing a lot of civilian deaths. This has led to a humanitarian crisis and a lot of suffering and anger.

The people who planned the attacks in southern Israel in October are thought to be hiding in Gaza, even though Israel is searching very hard for them.

Arouri’s death in Lebanon will make Turkey and Qatar, where Hamas leaders are also located, think hard about their safety.

This is also making Israeli families very worried about their loved ones who are still being held captive in Gaza.

The assassination has stopped the talks in Cairo about swapping hostages for Palestinians in Israeli jails.

Prime Minister Netanyahu keeps saying that only pressure will be effective.

Israel has made things even stricter.