By Palestine Chronicle Staff – Gaza
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said the assassination of the Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri is “a real threat to peace” and “a serious alarm” for the countries in the region.
“The evil acts by Israel in other countries pose a real threat to peace and security, and a serious alarm for the security of all countries in the region,” Amir-Abdollahian said in a statement on X, on Wednesday.
He added that “such a cowardly terrorist operation” proves that Israel “has not achieved any of its goals after weeks of war crimes, genocide, and destruction in Gaza, and the West Bank, despite the direct support of the White House.”
“I extend my condolences to Sheikh Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas political bureau, to the members of this liberation movement and to the brave Palestinian people” on the assassination of al-Arouri, the foreign minister said.
A general strike is being observed across the occupied West Bank on Wednesday to mourn the assassination of the Deputy Head of Hamas’ Political Bureau, Saleh al-Arouri.https://t.co/PLTzUpXi7b pic.twitter.com/R3hF7xO6UT
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) January 3, 2024
‘Cowardly Attacks Will Not Break Our Will’
On Tuesday evening, Al-Arouri was assassinated in an Israeli drone attack in Beirut, Lebanon, along with other top officials of the Al-Qassam Brigades.
In a statement, Hamas said “these cowardly assassination attacks, which the Zionist occupation is carrying out against our leadership and the symbols of our Palestinian people, inside and outside Palestine, will not succeed in breaking our will and the steadfastness of our people.”
What are the possible scenarios following Israel’s assassination of Saleh al-Arouri, deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau, in Lebanon?https://t.co/Fgiga8KvPn pic.twitter.com/CtBaF04ctS
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) January 3, 2024
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.
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.
Iran Explosions
Less than 24 hours following the assassination of Arouri in Lebanon, two successive explosions in southern Iran killed over 70 people and injured over 170 more, during a commemoration on the fourth anniversary of General Qasem Soleimani’s death.
Two successive explosions in southern Iran killed over 70 people and injured over 170 more, during a commemoration on the fourth anniversary of Gen. Soleimani’s death.https://t.co/bD3O2vA6fT pic.twitter.com/INJhFxlAND
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) January 3, 2024
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement condemned the attack in a statement, saying that “he movement affirms that this sinful aggression against the innocent will increase the solidarity of the peoples of our nation around the resistance, of which the martyr Soleimani will remain one of its symbols.”
(The Palestine Chronicle)
