Who is Saleh Al-Arouri, top Hamas official killed in Beirut?

Senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri was killed in an explosion in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday. As the group accuses Israel of the bombing, the event marks a potentially major escalation in the Israel-Hamas war.

Arouri was killed in south Beirut’s Dahieh neighborhood along with several other people, according to multiple reports. Hamas confirmed his death and accused Israel of being responsible for the assassination. Israel did not immediately comment, in keeping with its policy of not discussing military operations abroad.

Who is Arouri?

Arouri was one of Hamas’ main leaders. Born in Aroura near the Palestinian capital Ramallah in 1966, he joined Hamas in 1987 and was deputy leader of Hamas’ political bureau and leader of its West Bank political bureau at the time of his death.