Thousands of Hamas supporters arrived on Thursday for the funeral of the deputy chairman of the terrorist organization's political bureau, Salah al-Arouri, who was attrition in Beirut, the Lebanese capital. Among the participants documented in the event were his deputy, Hamas financier Zahar Jabarin, and senior Hamas figure Musa Abu Marzouq.
Al-Arouri's coffin was taken from the Imam Ali Mosque in south Beirut and carried in a procession of armed men through the alleys of Shatila refugee camp to the cemetery where he was buried. Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas' political bureau, who did not participate in the event, issued a statement saying: "The assassination is an absolute terrorist act, an affront to Lebanon's sovereignty and an expansion of the circle of fire."
Haniyeh added: "The Nazi Israeli occupation bears responsibility for this merciless brutality." Al-Arouri was deputy head of the political bureau and head of the West Bank Headquarters, which directs terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria. He lived on the lines of Turkey, Lebanon and Qatar, and had contacts with Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. Arouri promoted the outline of a multi-front offensive against Israel, scheduled to begin on 7 October. In practice, Hezbollah set the northern front on fire, but in a limited manner, which caused disappointment in Hamas.
Senior Hamas figures at al-Arouri's funeral in Beirut,
He was born in a village near Ramallah in 1966 and studied in Hebron. Arouri joined Hamas in the early 90s and was one of the founders of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing. Because of his activities, he was arrested many times and spent a total of 15 years in an Israeli prison. During this period he learned to speak Hebrew. He was eventually deported abroad and settled in Syria until the outbreak of the civil war. Since then, he has moved to Turkey and managed the headquarters of the terrorist organization in the country. He admitted that Hamas was behind the murder of the three youths in 2014.
Arouri was wanted by the United States and his bounty was $5 million. Three years later he was elected deputy head of the political bureau. In 2018, Israel allowed him to visit the Gaza Strip without killing him. It was recently reported in Lebanon that Arouri was once again on the Mossad's list of assassinations. Israeli officials have yet to confirm. Likud spokesman: We ask that you do not give interviews without prior approval for the next 24 hours or until further notice.
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