Israel escalated its vigilance against Hezbollah on Wednesday, January 3 after killing off senior Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in a targeted drone strike in Beirut.
However, the implications of the latest operation leading to a wider war involving Hezbollah remained unclear, the Associated Press reported.
This would only change if Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah would choose to respond. He previously vowed to retaliate for any Israeli targeting of allied militant leaders in Lebanon and was expected to deliver a speech later on Wednesday at 18:00 local time (16:00 UTC).
Hezbollah called the strike "a serious attack on Lebanon, its people, its security, sovereignty and resistance."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly vowed to hunt down Hamas leadership wherever they might be.
Israel vs. Hezbollah Imminent?
Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters have been exchanging fire almost daily over the Israeli-Lebanese border since Hamas's October 7th attack in southern Israel. Despite this, Nasrallah appeared reluctant to escalate the war in order to avoid a repeat of the 2006 war that heavily bombed Beirut and southern Lebanon, which happened to be Hezbollah's stronghold.
While Israeli officials have denied its involvement in the operation, Israeli and US officials told several reporters - on the condition of anonymity - that Israel was behind the strike. The only statement chief Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters was that they were "on high readiness for any scenario."
Israel claimed to have killed a number of mid-level Hamas leaders within Gaza ever since October 7.
Al-Arouri was the right-hand man of Hamas's supreme political leader Ismail Haniyeh and headed the group's presence in the West Bank. He was also a key liaison with Hezbollah. The US State Department listed him as a terrorist and offered a $5 million reward for information about him.
In the aftermath of the drone attack, Haniyeh said that Hamas was "more powerful and determined" following the attack, which killed six other members of the group.
"They left behind them strong men who will carry the banner after them," he said of those killed.
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