dpa
Beirut
Thousands of Palestinians and Lebanese, mainly followers of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement, took part on Thursday in the funeral procession of slain Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri.
Amid tight security measures by the Lebanese army around al-Arouri’s coffin and two others, the three were taken from a mosque in Tarek al-Jadideh in the capital towards a cemetery in the Palestinian camp of Shatila.
Chanting “Freedom for Palestine” the mourners marched through the streets towards the cemetery carrying Hamas, Palestinian and Hezbollah flags.
“Death to America and Israel,” the crowd chanted.
Al-Arouri was assassinated on Tuesday evening in what Lebanese security sources said was a targeted drone strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
He was killed with six others, including Commander Azzam al-Aqra and Muhammad al-Rayes. Heavy gunfire was heard as the coffins headed to the cemetery.
Meanwhile, in south Lebanon, Hezbollah claimed at least three attacks on Israeli posts near the border with Lebanon.
In retaliation, the Israeli army struck the outskirts of the Lebanese villages of Houla and Maroun al-Ras as well as al-Khiam.
Four Hezbollah fighters, including a local Hezbollah leader, were killed overnight in southern Lebanon in Israeli strikes on the border town of Naqoura.
The Lebanese group on Wednesday announced the deaths of five other fighters in southern Lebanon, raising their death toll to over 150 militants. Since the beginning of the Gaza war following the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, there has been repeated shelling in the Lebanon-Israel border area, with deaths on both sides.
There are fears that
the conflict could escalate following the al-Arouri’s assassination.
