This is the first attack in the capital of Lebanon in nearly two decades. Al-Arouri is the most senior Hamas leader to be killed since the group, designated by the US and the European Union as a terrorist organization, infiltrated Israel on October 7 and killed nearly 1,200 people. Israel retaliated with attacks in the Gaza Strip, which so far have killed over 20,000 Palestinian civilians.

The television broadcast shows smoke billowing from an apartment building in the Musharafiye neighborhood, while ambulances are seen rushing to the explosion site. According to the report from the National News Agency of Lebanon, six people were killed in the explosion. The southern outskirts of the Lebanese capital are known as a stronghold of support for Hezbollah, a group backed by Iran and involved in clashes with Israel along the Lebanon border to support Hamas.