Ramallah – The assassination of Saleh al-Arouri, Deputy Head of the Political Bureau for the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), by an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon on Tuesday evening, has sparked widespread protests across the streets and city centers of the West Bank. Hundreds of Palestinians expressed their outrage and condemnation of this crime, calling for an immediate response.
In Ramallah's Al-Manara Square, hundreds waved Palestinian flags and held pictures of the martyr, chanting "O West Bank, be strong… Al-Arouri was assassinated". They demanded that the resistance immediately retaliate for his killing.
Not far from Al-Manara Square, in the town of Aroura, hundreds continuously gathered at the family home of Al-Arouri, where his role and contributions to the resistance were praised. He was described as the main official responsible for the Al-Qassam Brigades in the West Bank.
In Nablus to the north, Hamas mourned him publicly for the first time in years, using mosque loudspeakers during a city-center procession. Meanwhile, in Jenin, hundreds led by armed members of the Jenin Battalion vowed swift retribution.
The scenes were similar in both Tubas and Tulkarm, where demonstrations brought together Palestinians from all societal segments, reflecting the widespread consensus supporting Al-Arouri—both during his time in Israeli prisons and after his release, focusing on his efforts toward reconciliation and unity.
Mourning by Resistance Factions
The Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) was one of the first factions to mourn Al-Arouri in an official statement, calling for a comprehensive strike in the West Bank cities tomorrow. Fatah leader Jibril Rajoub described the martyr Al-Arouri as a symbol of perseverance in detention and a seed of Palestinian unity, declaring his loss a blow to the national liberation movement even before considering it a loss to Hamas.
In an interview with Al-Jazeera, Fatah's spokesman in the West Bank, Hussein Hamayel, mentioned Al-Arouri's numerous positive stances on the national unity issue. He confirmed that Fatah is earnestly striving for unity as a response to Israel's criminal acts, the latest being Al-Arouri's assassination.
He stressed the need for a unified front of self-defense and revenge for the blood of all martyrs, by coordinating efforts and unified action in all fields to end the occupation.
Hassan Khreisheh, former Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Council, stated that Al-Arouri was a distinguished and impactful figure, playing a significant role in leading internal reconciliation efforts and achieving important agreements between Fatah and Hamas in the past.
Speaking to Al-Jazeera, Khreisheh believed that Israel's assassination of Al-Arouri aims for a hollow victory, especially since Al-Arouri directly oversaw Hamas' military wing in the West Bank.
Khreisheh sees the assassination of Al-Arouri in Lebanon as a challenge to Hezbollah and a step to strengthen the position of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, extending his tenure after failure to achieve success during the war in Gaza, given the resilience of the resistance and support from the Palestinian people.
He points out that the Palestinian public's reaction to Al-Arouri's assassination provides positive opportunities for unity and reconciliation, considering Israel's assassination of any Palestinian figure as a "means to unify the Palestinian people."
The Ultimate Sacrifice
Mustafa Barghouti, Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative, agrees with Khreisheh about Israel's objective behind the assassination. He sees it as an attempt to provoke a regional war, emphasizing that assassinations never broke the will of the resistance; instead, they increased its strength. He anticipates that Israel will bear the consequences of this aggression.
Barghouti, drawing from his personal experiences and repeated interactions with Al-Arouri during national unity efforts, asserted that he was a national figure committed to unity in all aspects.
Al-Arouri became a trending topic on social media, with video clips and past interviews highlighting his statements about the possibility of assassination and his readiness for martyrdom. In one interview, he emphasized that the blood of martyrs was not more precious or dear than anything else, pointing to the people's determination to achieve their goals despite the challenges.
Responding to those warnings about his potential assassination, Barghouti noted that Al-Arouri understood his destiny as a cause for martyrdom, asserting that if someone warned him about being targeted, he would reply, confirming that he would be neither the first nor the last martyr.
Barghouti fondly recalls Al-Arouri's calm and vibrant approach to national unity issues and his immense love for resistance, indicating that Israel might not comprehend the true impact of great leaders achieving martyrdom.
Al-Arouri was assassinated in an attack that targeted a Hamas office in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday evening.
