Israeli occupation forces detained on Saturday night Dalal and Fatima al-Arouri, the sisters of Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri, who was assassinated by an Israeli drone in Beirut on January 2.
Quds News Network reported that the two women were arrested by Israeli forces after storming their homes in the city of Al-Bireh and the town of Aroura, in the Ramallah District.
The Jerusalem Post quoted Israeli army radio as claiming that Dalal and Fatima al-Arouri are “suspected of spreading incitement”.
The two sisters were interviewed by Al-Jazeera following the assassination. They both shared feelings of pride toward their brother and stated that Israel does not know “what to do in front of the Resistance, so they take it out against the people”.
Sister of martyr Commander Saleh Al Arouri, one of the Hamas Leaders;
"I congratulate myself, my mother, and our people on the martyrdom of my brother, Sheikh Saleh Al Arouri. My brother's value is not greater than that of the martyrs in Gaza. Thank be to Allah, we continue on… pic.twitter.com/HcjMHa4NWa
— Muslim Hind🔻 (@Al_HindMuslims) January 2, 2024
Saleh al-Arouri was not an ordinary leader. To begin with, his political vision and formation were a direct outcome of his own struggle as a Palestinian fighting to end the Israeli occupation of his homeland.
He had spent a total of 15 years in an Israeli prison due to his involvement with the Resistance.
Al-Arouri was born in the town of Arara – thus his last name – near Ramallah, in 1966. His connection to the West Bank remained strong even after he left.
Israel has constantly accused him of being the brain behind the rising armed struggle phenomenon in the West Bank and has repeatedly threatened to kill him.
‘May God Be Pleased with You, Son’ – Mothers of Arouri, Gramsci
The Palestinian leader is credited politically for being one of the main advocates of Wihdat Al-Sahat, or unity of the squares, a resistance strategy that allowed Palestinians, Lebanese, and other Arab Resistance groups to find a common denominator and collectively fight against Israel.
Al-Arouri is also known for having played an essential role in a prisoner exchange deal in 2011, which saw the release by Al-Qassam of a captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
