Occupied Jerusalem – Israel has entered a state of high alert across all fronts and throughout the country in the wake of the assassination of Hamas leader Saleh Al-Arouri, who was killed on Tuesday evening in a drone strike in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
Israeli security institutions are preparing for a scenario of widespread warfare on both the Lebanese and Gaza fronts, as the Israeli home front readies for potential long-range missile response from Hezbollah deep within Israel, as well as the infiltration of combatants from Lebanon into border towns and the Upper Galilee.
The Security Cabinet remains in constant session at the Israeli Ministry of Defense headquarters in Tel Aviv, attended by military chiefs of staff, security agencies, and intelligence leaders from Shin Bet and Mossad, discussing expected developments in the southern and Upper Galilee combat theaters following the assassination operation.
Israel does not rule out paying a heavy price, preparing for an extensive missile response from the north as well as from Gaza. High-ranking political and military leaders have expressed statements indicating that the individual who ordered Al-Arouri's assassination had considered the reaction and was ready for all possibilities, including a calculated and limited response or a full-scale war, according to Channel 11 in Israel.
The Israeli military establishment is preparing for war on both the Lebanese and Gaza fronts (Israeli Occupation Forces)
Full-scale War!
The Israeli military is bracing for a strong response from Hezbollah, which could include the bombing of Israeli territory with long-range missiles. The website Walla quoted a senior Israeli official saying, "Israel is preparing for a sharp Hezbollah response to the assassination of Al-Arouri."
In anticipation of possible infiltration of armed forces into settlements in the Western Negev and Upper Galilee, and the launching of missile attacks from the Lebanese and Gaza fronts, Israeli police officers across the country have been instructed to remain on high alert for any sudden developments.
Liran Tamari, the police affairs correspondent for the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, reported that the Israeli police high command has sent a message to officers after the assassination of Saleh Al-Arouri, directing them to be ready for rocket fire and infiltrations into the settlements.
Instructions were also issued for the police to prepare guard teams spread across more than 600 Israeli towns, formed after the "Deluge of Al-Aqsa" battle, to be at the ready for rapid deployment and participation in protecting the home front from potential armed attacks and intense missile barrages.
Israel has not yet officially claimed responsibility for the assassination of Al-Arouri (Al Jazeera)
No Comment
Senior officials in the Israeli government told Yedioth Ahronoth's website following the assassination of Al-Arouri, "Finally, a quality assassination. Every leader in Hamas faces assassination and death."
Despite this, Israel has yet to officially claim responsibility for the assassination operation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has instructed ministers not to conduct interviews or comment on the assassination.
Netanyahu's office declined to comment on the assassination in Beirut, marking the first operation targeting a high-ranking Hamas official outside Gaza since the "Deluge of Al-Aqsa" battle on October 7, 2023.
Government Secretary Yossi Fuchs ordered ministers to refrain from speaking or giving interviews on the incident, and the Likud party spokesperson directed Knesset members from the party to avoid interviews without prior approval for the next 24 hours or until further notice.
Promoting Achievements
However, in a veiled acknowledgment of the Israeli government's role in the assassination of Al-Arouri, as part of an attempt to promote accomplishments to the Israeli public amid failures in achieving war objectives against Gaza, government members and coalition parties hastened to boast about the operation and threatened Hamas leaders with the same fate.
Likud party Knesset member Danny Danon posted on the platform "X", declaring responsibility on Israel's behalf for the assassination of Al-Arouri.
Danon, a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, wrote in his post, "I congratulate the Israeli military, Shin Bet, Mossad, and the security forces on the assassination of the senior Hamas official Salah Al-Arouri in Beirut. Anyone involved in the October 7 massacre should know that we will reach them and hold them accountable."
Knesset member from the Religious Zionism coalition Michal Waldiger was even more explicit about Israel's responsibility for Al-Arouri's assassination, stating in a tweet: "The Israeli military and security forces received an order and have not rested for a moment. All the doomed will meet death; Israel does not forget."
Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich responded, writing in a tweet, "Yes, all your enemies shall perish, O Israel," while Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli wrote, "I will pursue my enemies and annihilate them, not returning until they are destroyed."
Likud Knesset member Boaz Bismuth, close to Prime Minister Netanyahu, tweeted on the platform "X," saying, "Acts of injustice will not go unpunished; the list is long, but we will reckon with all Hamas leaders."
Assassination of Hamas Leaders
In a further indicator confirming Israel's responsibility for Al-Arouri's assassination, Israel Today's Arab World affairs reporter Shahar Klaiman wrote an analysis titled "After the assassination of Al-Arouri… who is in Israel's crosshairs?"
According to Klaiman's assessments of Hamas' political and military leadership targeted for assassination, Al-Arouri is one among several senior officials within the political bureau abroad and in Gaza, including Ismail Haniyeh and his deputy Musa Abu Marzook, Khaled Mashal, Fathi Hamad, and other leading figures in Hamas.
Klaiman estimated that priority targets for assassination within the Strip included Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar, and military wing leaders Mohammed Deif, Marwan Issa, Raed Saad, Raef Salameh, and Gaza City brigade commander in Hamas Azedine al-Qassam.
From Klaiman's perspective, all Hamas officials should fear Israeli long-arm procedures saying, "It is hoped that with the eradication of the terrorist organization's leadership, many of its capabilities will be destroyed."
He noted that Al-Arouri's assassination is a significant message to mediators and communicators between Israel and Hamas regarding a prisoner exchange deal, indicating that "there is no immunity for any Hamas leader, as all are within the scope of targeting."
