Who is Fouad Shokor, and why did 'Israel' target him?

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen + news websites
31 Jul 2024 11:54
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Fouad Shokor, a senior military commander and Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's close confidant, was targeted by "Israel" in the Southern Suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, on Tuesday evening,

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Hezbollah leader Fouad Shokor, known by his alias Hajj Mohsen, who was assassinated in an Israeli attack on Tuesday (Military Media)

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

Fouad Shokor, also known by his alias Hajj Mohsen, from the town of Nabi Sheet in the Bekaa Valley, was considered 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 resisting 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.

Lebanon's Resistance has officially announced the martyrdom of leader Hajj Mohsen, who was assassinated in an Israeli strike on his home on Tuesday.

The Islamic Resistance in #Lebanon issued a statement earlier addressing the Israeli attack on the Southern Suburb of #Beirut on… pic.twitter.com/jCkEpqQEzF
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 31, 2024

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.

One of many equals

Mohanad Hage Ali, a Beirut-based fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center, affirmed that the senior commander is a "significant figure" for the Lebanese Resistance, according to The New York Times.

Matthew Levitt, an expert on Hezbollah at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said Shokor played a significant role in multiple operations carried out by the Islamic Resistance in the Lebanese South before its liberation in 2000.

He also was majorly involved in Hezbollah's operations in Syria. In light of his dedication to the Lebanese Resistance, Shokor rapidly evolved to become a top Hezbollah military leader who reports directly to Sayyed Hassan, as part of the Resistance movement's military leadership in a committee of equals.