AMMAN, Jordan - In a suspected Israeli airstrike in Lebanon's capital of Beirut, Saleh Arouri, a senior official of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, has been killed, according to Hamas media networks. The attack, if confirmed, would mark the first assassination of a top Hamas leader by Israel since the start of the war in Gaza in October.

Arouri, one of the founders of Hamas' military wing and a deputy chief of the group's political bureau, was just released from Israeli custody in 2010 and had been serving as a liaison between Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as with Turkey and other countries. He was also involved in reconciliation efforts between Hamas and the rival Palestinian political party, Fatah.

Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV channel announced the killing on Tuesday, referring to it as a "Zionist strike", while Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that an alleged Israeli drone strike caused an explosion in one of Beirut's southern suburbs, resulting in the death of four people.

Israeli leaders had previously vowed to assassinate leaders of Hamas in any country they found them, in retaliation for Hamas' deadly attack on Israel on October 7. Israel, however, has not claimed responsibility for the attack at this time.

The powerful Lebanese militia, Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has stated that if Israel is indeed responsible for the death of Hamas leaders, it will retaliate. Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in ongoing clashes near the Israel-Lebanon border since the beginning of the conflict in Gaza.

Other militant Palestinian factions have also vowed to respond with full force to the reported assassination of Arouri.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed concerns that this blast will escalate conflict in Lebanon, stating, "This explosion undoubtedly aims to implicate Lebanon, serving as a clear response to our efforts to keep the specter of the ongoing war in Gaza away from Lebanon."

The situation remains tense, with further developments expected in the coming days as investigations continue into the alleged Israeli airstrike and possible repercussions from Hamas and its allies.