Hezbollah on Wednesday mourned martyred senior commander Fouad Shokor, also known by his alias Hajj Mohsen, after he was targeted by an Israeli airstrike in Haret Hreik, the southern Suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, on Tuesday.

"After a journey plentiful in faith in Allah, sincerity in this faith, and relentless resistance without fatigue or boredom, as well as a long wait to meet Allah Almighty and his beloved ones who preceded him [...] and at the peak of his longing for this meeting, Allah Almighty granted His servant, the sincere and devoted fighter, with the noble reward of martyrdom," Hezbollah's statement read.

"He is the great jihadist leader, the dear brother, and beloved Sayyed Fouad Shokor (Sayyed Mohsen), whom we proudly present as a great martyr on the path to al-Quds," the statement read.

"Our Resistance presents him as a symbol of its definitive commitment and firm determination to continue on the path of resistance until the liberation of the land, the sanctities, and the people from the oppression and brutality of this usurping, criminal, and murderous entity, and as a symbol of its great figures who made its victories, built its strength, and developed its capabilities, and who did not stop their resistance until their last breath."

"As his presence with us was a distinctive advantage for the resistance, his great martyrdom will be a resounding motivation for his fellow fighters to move forward with steadfastness and courage to preserve the achievements, victories, and capabilities and to achieve the goals and aspirations that this great leader looked forward to," the statement added.

The statement concluded by underlining that the Resistance movement's stance on the assassination would be announced Thursday via a speech set to be delivered by Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

"This is our statement of condolences and congratulations," Hezbollah said after congratulating the family of the martyr and offering their condolences for their loss. "As for our political stance on this sinful aggression and great crime, it will be expressed by Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah tomorrow in the martyred leader's funeral procession."

The martyred legend

On Tuesday evening, "Israel" struck a residential building in the Lebanese capital of Beirut's Southern Suburb, attempting to assassinate Shokor. 

Hajj Mohsen, from the town of Nabi Sheet in the Bekaa Valley, is considered as one of the founding members of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon. 

Shokor began his militant activities in the Ouzai area in Lebanon's capital Beirut and quickly became a key figure in the resistance against the 1982 Israeli invasion. He participated in notable battles such as those in Khalde and the Faculty of Sciences in Beirut, where he emerged as a significant commander and helped establish Resistance groups.

Shokor was considered one of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's closest advisors and has been pursued by the United States for the alleged role he played in a bombing operation that eliminated US and French soldiers deployed in Lebanon during the Civil War, in the 1983 Beirut Barracks Bombings. 

Following the operation, the US placed a $5 million bounty for any information on Shokor but failed to find him. He was designated as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" by the United States in 2019 after he was designated by the Department of the Treasury in 2015.

The New York Times, citing an anonymous Israeli military official and other informed sources, said Sayyed Hassan's confidant had assumed some of Martyr Mustafa Badreddine's responsibilities following his martyrdom in Syria.

Throughout his career, Shokor was involved in defending Syria during the war and the liberation of al-Qusayr, and he was regarded as the equivalent of a Chief of Staff. 

He is described as an "experienced veteran" and one of the masterminds behind the development of Hezbollah's precision-guided missile arsenal. 

In 1992, Shokor expanded his influence by handling external affairs, including the Bosnia and Herzegovina portfolio, and mentoring resistant youths who supported their brethren in Bosnia.

After returning to Lebanon, he continued his Resistance activities as a military unit commander until 1995 and was pivotal in founding Hezbollah's naval and air forces.

In 2006, he was responsible for the missile and naval forces, notably targeting the Israeli Sa'ar warship. Shokor was appointed as a central Jihadi assistant by Hezbollah's Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and the party's Shura Council.