Saleh al-Aruri, Prominent Hamas Official
Israeli forces conducted a search operation at the residence of a prominent Hamas official in the West Bank, taking into custody several family members, as reported by onlookers.
The official, Saleh al-Aruri, is second in command to the chief of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, and is credited with establishing the military faction of the Islamist extremist organization.
Al-Aruri, currently residing in Lebanon, has been marked as a significant person of interest by Israel in response to the assault on October 7, during which militants of Hamas infiltrated southern Israel from Gaza. This attack resulted in the tragic loss of approximately 1,400 lives, predominantly civilians, and the abduction of over 200 individuals, as per the statements of Israeli authorities.
The military personnel made their entrance into al-Aruri’s residence in Arura, a village located to the north of Ramallah, in the early hours of a Saturday morning. They detained upwards of 20 individuals, amongst them a brother and nine nephews of al-Aruri, as informed by mayor Ali al-Khasib and eyewitnesses to AFP.
Additional Individuals Brought in For Interrogation
At the scene, the forces displayed a banner featuring the image of the Hamas deputy, juxtaposed against the Israeli flag, proclaiming the conversion of al-Aruri’s dwelling into the base of operations for Abu al-Nimer — denoting Israeli intelligence, as per eyewitness accounts. This transformation was widely circulated on the internet.
Locals of the village attributed the pseudonym Abu al-Nimer to the Israeli intelligence officer overseeing the region.
In an official communique, the military confirmed that the operation was executed in collaboration with the Shin Bet internal security agency and culminated in the apprehension of a considerable number of Hamas affiliates, including kinsmen of al-Aruri. The residence was repurposed for the confinement and interrogation of these detainees.
Saleh al-Aruri Accountable for Multiple Brutal Assaults
Israel holds al-Aruri accountable for orchestrating numerous assaults since his appointment as Haniyeh’s deputy in 2017. Al-Aruri, having served nearly two decades in Israeli detention facilities, was liberated in 2010 under the stipulation of his banishment.
