Israel, Hezbollah Commander Shukr Killed in Beirut

(ANSA) – TEL AVIV, JULY 31 – The Israeli army said that senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr was killed in an airstrike in Beirut. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that Shukr, also known as Hajj Mohsin, is the most senior Hezbollah commander killed by Israel. Shukr was a member of the Jihad Council, the Iranian-backed Shiite militia’s highest military body, and was considered the head of its strategic division. The IDF said that after the October 7 Hamas attack, Shukr managed Hezbollah’s attacks against Israel, including the Majdal Shams massacre. They add that he was “responsible for most of Hezbollah’s most advanced weaponry, including precision-guided missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, long-range rockets and drones”, as well as “the buildup of forces, planning and execution of terrorist attacks against the State of Israel”. Shukr joined Hezbollah in 1985 and held several senior positions, in the 1990s he carried out numerous attacks against the IDF and the South Lebanon Army, then in 2000, he was involved in the kidnapping of three Israeli soldiers in an attack in the Mount Dov area. (ANSA).