Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Hamas political bureau, responded to the assassination of his deputy, Saleh Al-Arouri, in Beirut on Tuesday evening.

Haniyeh stated that the cowardly assassination of Al-Arouri, along with Qassam Commanders Samir, Azzam Al-Aqra’, Mahmoud Zaki Shaheen, Muhammad Al-Rayes, Muhammad Bashasha, and Ahmed Hammoud, was carried out by the Israeli Occupation in Beirut.

Haniyeh added that the killing of Al-Arouri and his comrades is an outright act of terrorism for which the Zionist occupation is accountable.

Key points from Haniyeh’s statement:

• The killing of Arouri exposes the brutality of the occupation inflicted on our people globally.
• The bloodshed of Arouri and his comrades merges with the blood of our people in the struggle for Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa.
• The consequences of this terrorist act lie at the door of the Nazi-Zionist occupation.
• Israeli Occupation will not triumph in undermining the determination for resilience and resistance within our people.