Beirut - On Tuesday, an explosion claimed the lives of Saleh Arouri, a prominent official from the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and three others, as reported by officials from both Hamas and the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Lebanon's National News Agency attributed the blast, which killed four individuals, to an Israeli drone. Israeli officials declined to comment on the incident. If Israel is indeed responsible, it could signify a significant escalation in the ongoing Middle East conflict. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah pledged retaliation against any Israeli targeting of Palestinian officials in Lebanon.

Hamas official Bassem Naim confirmed to The Associated Press that Arouri lost his life in the explosion, a sentiment echoed by an anonymous Hezbollah official in accordance with regulations.

Saleh Arouri, a founding member of Hamas' military wing, previously led the group's operations in the West Bank. His death follows threats from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, issued even before the outbreak of hostilities between Hamas and Israel on October 7.

The explosion reverberated through Musharafieh, a southern suburb of Beirut dominated by the militant Hezbollah group, Hamas's ally. The blast ignited a fire in Hadi Nasrallah street in southern Beirut.

The incident occurred amid over two months of intense exchanges between Israeli forces and Hezbollah along Lebanon's southern border. While the fighting initially concentrated near the border, Israel's air force occasionally targeted Hezbollah sites deeper within Lebanon.

Earlier on the same day, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for multiple attacks along the Lebanon-Israel border, targeting Israeli military posts. In response to the incident, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office instructed ministers to refrain from interviews and comments on Saleh al-Aaruri's assassination, according to Israeli media sources.