"Architect of Al-Aqsa Flood": Who is Al-Arouri assassinated by Israel?

Shafaq News / A strike conducted by an Israeli drone targeting an office affiliated with Hamas in Beirut's southern suburbs, Hezbollah's stronghold, on Tuesday evening resulted in the death of four individuals and several injuries, including Hamas' Deputy Chief of the Political Bureau, Saleh al-Arouri. Hamas described him in their mourning statement as the "engineer" of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation.

The National News Agency reported that the explosion, which targeted a Hamas office in Al-Mashriqiyeh, led to four fatalities and several injuries.

Lebanese media outlets and a security source for "Al Arabiya" and "Al Hadath" confirmed that the Hamas official assassinated was Saleh al-Arouri, Hamas' Deputy Chief of the Political Bureau.

According to Lebanese security sources, more than one missile was launched by a drone at a target in Beirut's southern suburbs.

Meanwhile, Israel's Channel 13 revealed that the Palestinian leader who was assassinated was scheduled to meet Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah tomorrow.

The American newspaper "USA Today" disclosed that Israel initiated an international pursuit operation to target the prominent Hamas figure, Saleh al-Arouri, believed to have had prior knowledge of the attack launched by the movement on the seventh of this month. He was also seen as a link between Hamas, Iran, and Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to the newspaper.

The newspaper stated that Al-Arouri had appeared in an interview with a Lebanese channel several weeks before the attack, discussing Hamas' readiness for a comprehensive war. He indicated that the movement was closely discussing the possibilities of this war with all concerned parties. At that time, his statements were considered a warning, indicating that Israel had plans to eliminate Hamas leaders, warning of a regional war if such operations were carried out.

Despite the operations that Al-Arouri claimed Israel was planning not materializing, Hamas, in turn, launched its surprise attack on Israeli cities and towns, resulting in the deaths of nearly 1,400 individuals, most of whom were civilians. The newspaper revealed that the attack was much larger than what Hamas alone could have planned. It involved breaching the border fence with the Gaza Strip, employing drones and kite-powered devices, and targeting military control, communication, and intelligence centers — all operations bearing the hallmarks of external supporting entities.

Citing current and former intelligence officials from the US and Israel, as well as government and judicial documents, the newspaper stated that Al-Arouri is considered a strategic link among three parties: Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran.

Oudi Levi, who served in Israeli intelligence for over 30 years, mentioned, "Most of the money going to Hamas comes from Iran, and the Iranian man inside Hamas is Al-Arouri."

Al-Arouri is regarded as one of the founding leaders of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas that carried out the October 7th attack.

Despite being on the US sanctions list related to terrorism and a $5 million reward offered by the US Department of State for information leading to his killing or capture, Al-Arouri continued to move around the region, including inside and outside Iran. He collaborated with terrorist figures, including the former commander of the Quds Force in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Qasem Soleimani, before his death in a US airstrike in early 2020.

The newspaper mentioned, "Al-Arouri helped build and lead a new alliance for Hamas with Iran and Hezbollah, causing such concern in Israel that it urgently sought the United Nations Security Council's assistance in 2017 and again in 2018 to thwart his efforts."

Al-Arouri currently resides in Lebanon, where numerous media reports, including The New York Times, indicated that Hamas leaders met with senior Iranian officials and Hezbollah in April of the previous year.

Who is Al-Arouri?

According to sources cited by the "USA Today" newspaper, Al-Arouri's role within Hamas has become more prominent than merely serving as the Deputy Chief of the Political Bureau of the movement.

In addition to his continued involvement in Al-Qassam Brigades, Al-Arouri has spent years aiding in the reestablishment of Hamas operations in other Palestinian territories besieged by Israel, such as the West Bank, according to former Israeli and American counterterrorism officials who tracked his activities. These sources claim that Al-Arouri serves as a key aide to Ismail Haniyeh, one of Hamas' leaders residing in Qatar, especially concerning political communication between the movement, Iran, and Hezbollah.

Born in Ramallah in the West Bank, Al-Arouri became a pivotal figure in pro-Palestinian activities at the University of Hebron in the mid-1980s, where he studied Islamic Sharia Law. Security officials in Israel and the US state that Al-Arouri joined Hamas shortly after its formation in late 1987 during the start of the "First Intifada."

These officials further assert that he quickly progressed from leading a youth organization within the university campus to founding Al-Qassam Brigades. The newspaper noted that American and Israeli documents indicate that Al-Qassam Brigades began launching attacks against Israel in the early 1990s, including bombings and wide-scale rocket assaults in Palestinian territories and within Israel.

In 2003, the US Department of Justice labeled Al-Arouri as a conspirator in a terrorism-financing case, linking him to three Hamas activists in Chicago.

Al-Arouri was described in the indictment as a high-ranking military leader in Hamas, receiving tens of thousands of dollars for terrorist activities, including weapon procurement. Despite being detained by Israeli authorities and imprisoned three times, he continued his Hamas activities, even during his time in an Israeli prison in Ashkelon.

Arrest of Al-Arouri:

Al-Arouri was arrested in 2007 but was released in 2011 when Israel released more than 1000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas in 2006.

Following his release, Al-Arouri was compelled to leave Gaza and moved to the Syrian capital, Damascus, to join Hamas leadership in exile there.

As the Syrian Civil War broke out in 2012, Al-Arouri began to move once again and spent some time in Turkey.

In 2014, Al-Arouri declared that Hamas was responsible for an attack that occurred in June 2014, which involved the abduction and killing of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank, one of whom was a dual American-Israeli citizen.

In September 2015, the US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on Al-Arouri, designating him as a specially designated global terrorist, stating that he acted as a "primary fundraiser and facilitator for Hamas military cells."

According to US documents related to this action, Al-Arouri oversaw Hamas military operations in the West Bank and was linked to several terrorist attacks and abduction operations.

Moving to Lebanon

The newspaper additionally stated that Al-Arouri then moved to Lebanon, where he played an active role in bridging the gap that emerged in relations between Hamas and Iran due to the Syrian Civil War. He also began establishing stronger ties with Hezbollah from his new operational base in Lebanon.

In November 2018, the US Department of State's Rewards for Justice program offered a reward of up to $5 million for information on Al-Arouri.

At that time, the Department of State stated that Al-Arouri "currently resides freely in Lebanon, reportedly working with Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Quds Force."

The newspaper also affirmed that Al-Arouri had connections and attended meetings with Sa’eed Izadi, head of the "Palestine Branch" in the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.