Saleh Muhammad Suleiman Al-Arouri, also known as Abu Muhammad, Vice President of Hamas, was reportedly assassinated in a central Beirut airstrike on the evening of Jan. 2, 2024. 

Born in the village of Aroura, Ramallah District, in 1966, Al-Arouri played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas in the West Bank.

Renowned for being the mastermind behind arming the Qassam Brigades, he faced arrest and spent approximately 15 years in occupation prisons before being deported from Palestine.

Al-Arouri's influence extended to the diplomatic arena, where he was a member of the negotiating team responsible for the Wafa al-Ahrar deal, commonly known as the "Shalit deal."

Despite the challenges he faced, including administrative detention from 1990 to 2007 on charges related to forming the initial Qassam Brigades cells in the West Bank, Al-Arouri remained committed to the Palestinian cause.

After being deported to Syria, Al-Arouri settled there for three years before relocating to Turkey in February 2012.

Eventually, he found a new residence in the southern suburb of Lebanon.

On October 9, 2017, he was officially announced as the Vice President of the Hamas movement, solidifying his role as a prominent figure in Palestinian leadership.