Hundreds of people attended on Thursday the funeral in Beirut of Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri, who was killed in an Israeli attack.
Calling on Hamas to avenge his death and the killing of five other members of the Palestinian militant group on Tuesday, the mourners gathered at a mosque to recite the prayer of the dead before marching to Shatila refugee camp, where three of them were to be buried.
The coffins of the three Hamas leaders, Arouri, Azzam al-Aqraa and Mohammad al-Rais, were draped in Palestinian and Hamas flags.
A machine gun was laid on top of each coffin, and heavy gunfire rang out as the funeral procession made its way to the cemetery.
Arouri and the six other Hamas members were killed in a strike in Mcharafieh in Beirut’s southern suburb, a Hezbollah stronghold.
Hamas and Lebanese security officials accused Israel of launching the attack, with one high-level Lebanese security official saying they were targeted by guided missiles.
A US defense official told AFP on Wednesday that Israel was behind the attack. Israel has not claimed any responsibility.
Arouri was the most senior Hamas figure to be killed since the Israel-Hamas war broke out on October 7 after Hamas attacked Israel.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel in a speech on Wednesday against starting a war in Lebanon, vowing that his group would fight back without restraint.
Several exiled Hamas figures reside in Lebanon, under the protection of Hezbollah.
Tuesday’s strike that killed Arouri was the first on the Lebanese capital since hostilities began.
With AFP
