BEIRUT: Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati issued a statement late Tuesday condemning an explosion in the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut, calling it a “new Israeli crime.”
The Palestinian group Hamas confirmed the assassination of its deputy chief Saleh Arouri in the blast.
Hamas said two commanders of its armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, were also killed.
Lebanon’s official National News Agency earlier reported that Arouri was killed in an Israeli drone strike on a Hamas office in Mecherfeh in southern Beirut. At least six people were killed in the attack.
“This explosion aims to usher Lebanon into a new phase of confrontations following the daily ongoing attacks in the south, which result in a significant number of martyrs and injuries,“ he added.
In this respect, Lebanon intends to file an urgent complaint with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) against Israel in light of the attack, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
Lebanon has previously lodged several complaints against Israel in the UNSC, including cases related to targetting journalists in southern Lebanon and occupying border towns.–Bernama-AA
