One of the most senior members of Hamas has been killed in an explosion in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.
Lebanese state media has said four people were killed during an Israeli drone strike on a Hamas office in the city’s southern suburbs. The area, Dahiyeh, is known as a stronghold of Hamas’ Iranian backed allay Hezbollah
Israel has not confirmed its involvement.
In the current conflict, Israel had so far refrained from hitting Beirut. Skirmishes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah had mostly occurred in border areas.
An attack on Beirut itself is an escalation of the conflict.
Hamas has said that its politburo deputy head Saleh al-Arouri was killed. The BBC has reported that he was heavily involved in Hamas, military operations.
Al-Aruri was killed in a “treacherous Zionist strike”, Hamas said on its official channel.
A high-level security official in Beirut told AFP tha he was killed in the Israeli strike along with his bodyguards.
Originally published as Lebanese state media says four killed in Israeli drone strike on Hamas office in
