BEIRUT: The slain deputy chief of Hamas Saleh al-Arouri was laid to rest in Beirut’s Palestinian camp of Shatila on Thursday in the presence of a large gathering of mourners, who fired volleys of gunfire during the funeral.
Arouri was killed in an Israeli drone attack on Tuesday in the southern suburb of Beirut, considered a stronghold of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. The attack occurred during a meeting with people from Palestinian and Lebanese factions allied to Hamas.
All seven people present at the Beirut meeting were killed, with the bodies, including Arouri’s, extensively damaged by the strike, complicating the burial process. Two other Palestinians, one from Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, and another person, were also buried in the Shatila Martyrs Cemetery.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, in a statement from outside Lebanon, said “Palestine and Lebanon bid farewell today, along with the people of the nation, to strong men who fought battles in all fields and directions.”
The coffins, draped in Palestinian flags, were carried by individuals wearing green caps with “Hamas” inscribed on the front, accompanied by prolonged bursts of gunfire.
Meanwhile, the health ministry in Gaza said Thursday 22,438 people have been killed in the territory since the war between Hamas and Israel erupted on October 7. In a statement, the health ministry said that 125 fatalities were recorded over the past 24 hours. It added that more than 57,614 people have been injured in the fighting between Hamas and Israel.
Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qudra said that during the last 90 days, around 22,438 Palestinians have been killed in brutal Israeli strike on the Strip. The ministry maintained that 125 Palestinians were killed and 318 injured mostly women and children in the past 24 hours.
