The question was not if, but when. "I feel like I have lived past what was necessary, I never expected to reach this age," assassinated Hamas political bureau official Saleh al-Arouri said once. Many things can be said about him, but being foolish was not one of them. Arouri honestly received the title of "Hamas' strategist," after taking responsibility for the kidnapping and murder of the three boys in 2014. Already then he knew that his name was at the top of the list of senior terrorist organization members slated for assassination. And nevertheless, he continued acting with great cunning to promote "spectacular attacks" throughout the West Bank, without behaving like a terrorist on the run.
Al-Arouri stuck to his routine and moved from place to place out in the open. He also did not spare public appearances that included interviews with Arab media outlets and meetings with Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah and heads of other terrorist organizations in Beirut and Doha.
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Those who followed his behavior got the impression of a man projecting self-confidence, perhaps even excessively so. It is hard to count the number of times he allowed himself to incite terror and taunt Israel. At least in that sense, he had the assassination coming. "Fight, rise up whenever you can; instead of a thousand young people participating in the resistance, there should be 100,000; the occupation will be defeated," he urged young Palestinians in a television interview.
Video: Kamal Adwan director confesses hospital used for taking hostages / Credit: Shin Bet security agency
However, his sharp and dangerous messages resonated loudly on social media and sometimes were also translated into attacks on the ground. Unlike Mohammed Deif and others who tried to fly under the radar, al-Arouri did not go into hiding and was not considered an elusive figure. On the contrary, he used to speak with relatives and acquaintances and enjoyed the company of others and even journalists.
Hamas' number two took the threats from Israel seriously but did not want to spend the rest of his life in a bunker. It did not suit his personality or self-esteem. Although by his title he served as deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, in practice his status was "minister of defense" of the terrorist organization, at least with regards to the West Bank. In this capacity, he not only directed attacks, funded terror cells, and devised modus operandi, but also tried to undermine the security mechanisms of the Palestinian Authority.
The top echelon of the PA marked him as a hostile element, and therefore it too will now enjoy the fruits of the assassination. By virtue of his proximity to the Iranians and Hezbollah, al-Arouri was also responsible for the "South Lebanon Project" to establish terror infrastructure, which gave him influence in the organization and outside it.
His assassination is a harsh blow to Hamas in the West Bank and abroad, which means it will not be easy to find someone to fill his big and unique shoes – but let's not fool ourselves: If past is prologue, even if it takes time, eventually a replacement will also be found for him.
