Strike on Hamas leader may signal new phase of war: Ex-official

(NewsNation) — A former senior Trump administration official who worked as a key negotiator on the Abraham Accords believes an airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon, that killed a senior Hamas leader may signal a “second phase” of Israel’s war against Hamas.

“It echoes Munich and what happened in the (Palestine Liberation Organization) post-Olympics. Now they’re going more targeted,” Adam Boehler said Tuesday on “The Hill on NewsNation.” “This is sending a message from Israel that while we might start deescalating, we’re going to be more targeted, and nobody in Hamas is safe if they’re senior.”

The apparent Israeli strike killed Hamas’ No. 2 political leader Tuesday, marking a potentially significant escalation of Israel’s war against the militant group and heightening the risk of a wider Middle East conflict.

Saleh Arouri, who was the most senior Hamas figure killed since the war with Israel began, was also a founder of the group’s military wing. His death could provoke major retaliation by Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah militia.

Hezbollah called the strike “a serious attack on Lebanon, its people, its security, sovereignty and resistance.”

“We affirm that this crime will never pass without response and punishment,” it said.

However, Boehler estimates that if Hezbollah was going to get involved in the war in a significant manner, it likely would have done so already.

“Hezbollah is not going to have their hand pushed by Hamas,” Boehler said. “I think what you’re going to see is continued efforts on Hezbollah to destabilize, sort of what you’re seeing with the Houthis down in the Red Sea.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.