Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah: Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri was killed in a drone strike in Beirut on January 2. Hamas itself confirmed the death, but the Lebanese organization Hezbollah has blamed Israel for the death of a top commander of its ally Hamas in the capital Beirut earlier this week. Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward northern Israel on Saturday, possibly in retaliation for the killing by Israel.
Hezbollah leader Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah had said a day earlier that his group would retaliate over the killing of Hamas deputy political leader Saleh al-Arouri. Nasrallah had said that if Hezbollah did not retaliate against Arouri’s killing in its stronghold of southern Beirut, all Lebanese people could become victims of an Israeli attack.
Hezbollah said on Saturday that it fired 62 rockets towards an air observation base in Mount Meron, which directly hit the target. The Israeli military said about 40 rockets were fired toward the Meron area, although it did not mention the airport.
This incident has happened at a time when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on a visit to West Asia with the aim of preventing the 14-week-long Israel-Hamas war from spreading across the region. Blinken is in Turkey on Saturday, where he will hold a meeting with the country’s President and Foreign Minister. This is Blinken’s fourth visit to West Asia in three months.
There is increasing international criticism of Israel’s operations in Gaza. America’s concerns about war are increasing. America’s concern is increasing after the recent attacks in the Red Sea, Lebanon, Iran and Syria.
