An explosion early on Tuesday evening shook several buildings in Dahieh, a residential neighborhood in Beirut, home to several Hezbollah members. 

Shortly after the explosion, Hamas leaders confirmed that senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri was killed in the targeted attack, which appeared to be a drone strike. 

Videos uploaded to social media showed the burnt out wreckage of vehicles and a destroyed apartment on one of the streets in the neighborhood. 

Arouri was one of the founders of Hamas' military wing and was in charge of the group’s operations in the West Bank. 

While no other names have been released yet, Hamas officials said two other Qassam Brigade commanders were killed in the strike, as well. Conflicting reports in Lebanese media place the number of dead as either four or five. According to reports in Lebanese media, all those killed were Hamas members. 

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati called the assassination a "new Israeli crime intended to spur a new phase of the conflict, following daily attacks in the south [of Lebanon].” 

Israel has not officially commented on the strike, in keeping with its standing policy regarding high profile strikes outside of Israel and the Palestinian territories. 

Read the full article at All Israel News.