The Hamas leader was identified as Saleh Al-Arouri.

The Biden administration was not told about the operation in advance, a US official told CNN.

Hamas media outlet Al Aqsa TV said Saleh Al-Arouri, deputy head of the political bureau of Hamas, was 'martyred in a treacherous Zionist airstrike in Beirut', CNN reported.

Two other leaders from Hamas’ military wing, Samir Findi Abu Amer and Azzam Al-Aqraa Abu Ammar, were among those killed in the strike, according to Hamas officials, the American news channel reported.

The Israel Defence Force (IDF) did not confirm the attack so far.

A former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, however, wrote on X: "I congratulate the IDF, the Shin Bet, the Mossad and the security forces for the elimination of senior Hamas official Salah Al-Aaruri in Beirut. Anyone who was involved in the 7/10 massacre should know that we will reach out to them and close an account with them."

Who was Saleh Al-Arouri?

Saleh Al-Arouri was one of the top Hamas leaders and a key figure in the Qassam Brigades. It is the armed wing of Hamas.

According to reports, he was a  close ally of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

He had been in Lebanon acting as a connection between his group and Hezbollah, reported BBC.

October 7 attack

Palestine's Hamas group made a surprise move when its members crossed over from the Gaza Strip and launched a sudden attack on Israel on October 7. The conflict has so far left over 19,000 people dead.

Hamas released over 100 hostages, out of the 240 people captured, during the temporary truce reached between the two warring sides. Israel freed several Palestinians who were held in Israeli prisons during the period.

The international community has been seeking an immediate ceasefire in the region. However, there seems to be no end to the conflict with the Israeli military continuing to take action in Gaza and even PM Benjamin Netanyahu recently saying that the war may take more than 'several months'.