Developments in the Gaza conflict have captured the attention of global newspapers, with several focusing on the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri, the Deputy Chief of the Political Bureau for the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, south of the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
Politico reported that targeting al-Arouri "represents a serious escalation in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East," recalling statements by the Secretary-General of Lebanese Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, in which he threatened to retaliate against any Israeli operation targeting a Palestinian official in Lebanon.
The destruction caused by Israeli shelling in the Rimal neighborhood northeast of Gaza (Al Jazeera)
Former British Minister Peter Hain, in an article published by The Guardian, opined that Israel "will not be able to destroy Hamas even if it destroyed Gaza entirely," calling for the inclusion of Hamas in governing the Gaza Strip after the war ends.
Hain’s article stated that the West is complicit in what he termed as a dismal failure in Gaza. He warned that the gap between Western capitals and the global South is widening, and this will come at a high cost.
The Financial Times highlighted the extent of destruction in the Gaza Strip, wondering about the reality that Gaza's residents will have to deal with the day after the war, commenting that "the people of Gaza are accustomed to rising from the rubble to life anew."
The Wall Street Journal focused on the internal division within Israel, noting that despite displaying unity during the war, Israel remains divided.
Meanwhile, the Chinese newspaper, Global Times, touched upon developments in the Gaza conflict, noting that "the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces indicates that Israel needs to reassess its strategy in Gaza and consider its ability to face the risk of the situation in Gaza spiraling out of control." The paper also commented on "the necessity to evaluate the economic and military losses and costs of its goal to exert full control over Gaza, all this amid increasing international public pressure."
Hamas announced on Tuesday evening that al-Arouri was assassinated in an attack by an Israeli drone that targeted a building housing a Hamas office in Beirut, stating that two leaders from its military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, were also martyred in the attack.
