Israel-Lebanon border heats up in aftermath of Arouri’s killing

BEIRUT — The exchanges of fire between the Israeli army and Lebanese Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border are intensifying ahead of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah’s speech on Wednesday.

Nasrallah is due to speak at 6 p.m. local time, one day after Hamas leader Salah al-Arouri was killed in a suspected Israeli drone strike in the Dahiyeh district south of Beirut. The strike hit a Hamas office in a building in the Mashrifiyah area where Palestinian factions were meeting. Six others were also killed, including leaders of Hamas’ military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

Israel, which has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack, has been on high alert since then. The implications for Arouri’s killing remain unclear and much depends on Nasrallah’s response.

“We are in a high state of readiness for any scenario,” Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari told reporters hours after the incident.