Sheikh Naim Qassem, the deputy chief of Lebanon s Shiite militant group Hezbollah, delivers a speech in support of Palestinians, amid the Israeli air strikes. AFP
"We, Hezbollah, affirm that this crime will not go unanswered or unpunished," the group said in a statement.
"We consider the crime of assassinating Sheikh Saleh al-Aruri... in the heart of the southern suburb of Beirut to be a serious assault on Lebanon... and a dangerous development in the course of the war," the statement added.
Lebanon's prime minister condemned Israel's killing of Saleh al-Aruri and injured many, saying the attack "aims to draw Lebanon" further into the Gaza war, his office said in a statement.
The attack "aims to draw Lebanon into a new phase of confrontations" with Israel, added the statement.
* This story was edited by Ahram Online.
Short link: