Saleh al-Arouri

Saleh Muhammad Sulayman al-Arouri (; 19 August 1966 – 2 January 2024), also transliterated as Salah al-Arouri or Salih al-Aruri, was a Palestinian politician and senior leader of Hamas who served as deputy chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau from October 2017 until his assassination in January 2024. He was a founding commander of its military wing, the Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades and also served as the Hamas's military commander of the West Bank, although he lived in Lebanon at the time of his assassination.

Al-Arouri was born in 'Arura near Ramallah in the West Bank in 1966. He enrolled at Hebron University to study Islamic Sharia in 1985, during which he was elected head of the Islamic faction at the university, and was recruited to Hamas in 1987 during the First Intifada. He also served as a recruiter, and was actively involved in raising and transferring funds on behalf of Hamas. Al-Arouri was considered one of the architects of the October 7 attack on Israel, and was also known for his role in expanding Hamas' activities in the West Bank.

The U.S., which designated him as a terrorist in 2015, had also put a $5 million bounty on his head. He was assassinated in 2024 during the Gaza war by an Israeli strike. Al-Arouri was succeeded by Zaher Jabarin as Hamas's leader in the West Bank.

Early life Al-Arouri was born on 19 August 1966 in 'Arura, Ramallah in the West Bank. In 1985, he enrolled at Hebron University to study Islamic Sharia. He was elected head of the Islamic faction at the university, where he established ties to Kutla Islamiya (Islamic Blocs), Hamas' youth wing on campus. Through his connection to Kutla Islamiya, al-Arouri met Muin Shahib, a Bir University-based Hamas operative who recruited al-Arouri to the ranks of Hamas and entrusted him with funding of an infrastructure for Hamas' military apparatus in Hebron. With Zaher Jabarin, al-Arouri helped to found the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing, leading its expansion into the northern West Bank.

Imprisonment After al-Arouri was briefly imprisoned by Israel, he was directed by Hamas to recruit a squad in Hebron that acquired weapons in 1990, thought to have been used in the later killing of an Israeli soldier. He spent six months in prison. He was arrested again shortly after. Initially held on administrative detention, he spent 15 years in prison for his leadership role in Hamas.

Release When he was released from prison in Israel in 2007, al-Arouri told interviewers that he abjured terrorist attacks, asserting that Hamas is "harmed if we target civilians."

Up until 2015, al-Arouri lived in Turkey; in December 2015, it was reported that he had left Turkey for Lebanon. Ynet News reported that al-Arouri's departure was part of the reconciliation efforts between Turkey and Israel, and had been discussed during the meeting held in early December between Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, and Hamas' political leader Khaled Meshal.

Leadership and strategy Al-Arouri was usually portrayed as a pragmatic leader, in contrast with Hamas leadership's hardline policy. According to Matthew Levitt of the think tank Washington Institute for Near East Policy, al-Arouri "has been a key figure behind Hamas' efforts to rejuvenate the group's terrorist networks in the West Bank."

Some of Al Qassam Brigades' activities aimed at establishing a Hamas cell in Hebron specialized in kidnapping Israeli soldiers, which Hamas believes is one of the most effective strategies to secure the release of its affiliates. This has been evident since 2013, when Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) arrested 20 terrorists affiliated with Hamas that had been assisted by Hamas operatives abroad with "guidance and funding."

Al-Arouri said in a conference in Turkey on 20 August 2014 that Hamas was responsible for the 2014 kidnapping and murder of Israeli teenagers. However, his claim was doubted by experts.

Al-Arouri was regarded as the orchestrator of a series of incidents of terrorism against Israelis in 2015, including the 2015 Shvut Rachel shooting and the shooting of Danny Gonen. In September 2015, al-Arouri was placed on the U.S. list of terrorists.

During September 2023, al-Arouri met with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, PIJ secretary-general Ziyad al-Nakhalah, and PFLP deputy secretary-general Jamil Mezher in Lebanon. Israeli media framed the meetings as indicative of an upcoming escalation in the Gaza Strip or West Bank.

Al-Arouri had been living in Lebanon when the Gaza war broke out. In the immediate aftermath of the October 7 attack on Israel, Arouri said the attack was a retaliation against Israel for the "crimes of occupation", The Wall Street Journal alleged that Arouri was behind the attack.

Financial activities In September 2015, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned al-Arouri for being "responsible… for money transfers for Hamas." The U.S. Treasury claimed that al-Arouri directed and oversaw "the distribution of Hamas finances" and portrayed him as "a key financier and financial facilitator for Hamas military cells planning attacks and fomenting unrest." who following his death was arrested by Israeli authorities for allegedly helping to fund his terroristic activities.

Later life and assassination

At the time of his death in 2024, al-Arouri was living in Lebanon.

On 2 January 2024, al-Arouri, 57, was assassinated in the Dahieh neighborhood of Beirut by an Israeli strike. The attack was suspected to be the work of Israel, Hamas' chief opponent, but the country did not officially acknowledge its involvement until May 2025 when al-Arouri's name and photo was included in a publicity photo of Hamas leaders that were killed by Israel. The assassination, which also killed six other individuals, occurred one day before Hezbollah commemorated the anniversary of the assassination of senior Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani.

After al-Arouri's death, Zaher Jabarin succeeded him as Hamas's leader in the West Bank.