Ismail Hanieh, the head of Hamas's political bureau, affirmed that "the assassination of the great leader Sheikh Saleh Al-Arouri reminds us of similar assassinations that Hamas has faced since the killing of its founder, the revered Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Dr. Abdul Aziz Rantisi." He continued, "Just as those assassinations did not impact the course of the revolution and its escalation, the assassination of the martyr Al-Arouri and his brothers will not affect the path of the revolution."
Hanieh mourned "the martyr, the jihadist leader, and the great national figure Sheikh Saleh Al-Arouri, and the two Qassam leaders, Samir Fandi and Izzam Al-Aqra, along with a group of martyrs as a result of a cowardly Israeli operation in Beirut." He stated, "The assassination of leader Al-Arouri and his brothers by the occupying Zionists is a complete terrorist act and a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty, further expanding the scope of their aggression. The Nazi-like Zionist occupation bears responsibility for this aggression. Martyr Al-Arouri worked in all arenas and fields for Palestine, Jerusalem, and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque."
He added, "A movement led by its pioneers and founders who are martyrs for the dignity of our people and our nation will never be defeated, and these targeting efforts only increase its strength, resilience, and unwavering determination. This is the history of resistance; after the assassination of its leaders, it becomes even stronger and more determined."
