Protests held in Palestine, Lebanon after killing of Hamas deputy chief

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Protests were held in Palestine and Lebanon following the assassination of Hamas deputy leader Saleh Arouri on Tuesday in an Israeli drone strike in the Lebanese capital Beirut.

Palestinians took the streets in the West Bank.

Carrying Hamas flags, protesters in the city of Ramallah, near Arouri’s hometown of Aroura, chanted slogans such as "We will follow your footsteps" and "Revenge, revenge, Qassam!"

Arouri was killed in an Israeli drone attack in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.

Hamas confirmed that Arouri and two commanders of its military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, were killed in the attack, which left at least six people dead.

Separately, protests were held at refugee camps, including the Beddawi camp in northern Lebanon, according to the National News Agency.

Carrying Palestinian flags and banners, groups chanted slogans condemning the crimes of the Israeli army and calling for support for the resistance in the fight against the "enemy."

The National and Islamic Forces, a coalition of major Palestinian factions, also condemned the killing of Arouri and called on Arab countries to take a "determined stance."

Arouri was the most senior Hamas leader to have been killed by Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on Oct. 7.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 22,185 Palestinians have since been killed and 57,035 others injured, according to Gaza’s health authorities, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.​​​​​​​

The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins, with 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure damaged or destroyed and nearly 2 million residents displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicines.