Heavy gunfire as hundreds mourn Hamas deputy leader at Beirut funeral

Hundreds of people attended the funeral of Hamas number two Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut who was killed during a strike on Lebanon that has been blamed on Israel. Calling on Hamas to avenge his death and the killing of five other members of the Palestinian militant group on Tuesday, the mourners gathered at a mosque to recite the prayer of the dead before marching to Shatila refugee camp, where three of the Hamas members were to be buried. The coffins of the three, Aruri, Azzam al-Aqraa, of the Hamas military wing Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, and Mohammad al-Rais, were draped in Palestinian and Hamas flags. A machine gun was laid on top of each coffin and heavy gunfire rang out as the funeral procession made its way to the cemetery, drowning out chants of “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest) by mourners waving Palestinian flags and those of Hamas ally Islamic Jihad. #israel #hamas #hezbol