Israel has insisted the assassination of a Hamas leader in Beirut was not an attack on Lebanon, as its enemies warned of “punishment” for his death, writes BBC.

An Israeli spokesman said Saleh al-Arouri had died in a “surgical strike against the Hamas leadership”. Hamas condemned the death, while its ally Hezbollah said it was an assault on Lebanese sovereignty. Lebanon’s prime minister, meanwhile, accused Israel of trying “to drag Lebanon into... confrontation”.

Lebanese media report that Arouri, a deputy political leader of Hamas, was killed in a drone strike in southern Beirut along with six others - two Hamas military commanders and four other members.

He was a key figure in the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, and a close ally of Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader. He had been in Lebanon acting as a connection between his group and Hezbollah.

Israeli spokesman Mark Regev stopped short of confirming Israel had carried out the assassination, a standard position for Israeli officials, but he told MSNBC: “Whoever did it, it must be clear that this was not an attack on the Lebanese state. It was not an attack even on Hezbollah, the terrorist organisation. Whoever did this did a surgical strike against the Hamas leadership. Whoever did this has a gripe with Hamas. That is very clear”.

Arouri, 57, is the most senior Hamas figure to be killed since Israel went to war with the group after its 7 October attack.