Lebanese Sources Accuse Mossad of Killing Hezbollah-Linked Money Changer

A picture of Mohammad Surur is circulating on social media
A picture of Mohammad Surur is circulating on social media
TT

Lebanese Sources Accuse Mossad of Killing Hezbollah-Linked Money Changer

A picture of Mohammad Surur is circulating on social media
A picture of Mohammad Surur is circulating on social media

Lebanese sources are accusing Israel’s Mossad of killing a Lebanese man associated with Hezbollah. He has been on the US sanctions list since 2019 for allegedly moving money from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to Hamas.
The victim, Mohammad Surur, was found dead in Beirut two days after he went missing. Investigators suspect Mossad’s involvement. Surur was lured to a rented villa by an unidentified woman.
The body of Surur was discovered Tuesday, murdered in the Mansourieh area in the Metn district north of the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
His body showed signs of torture before being shot.
Surur, who worked for Hezbollah-linked financial institutions, was shot multiple times while carrying a large sum of money.
A security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the case is highly dangerous, and what has been revealed so far is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Asserting that it was “not a robbery,” the source revealed that the signs of torture on the victim’s body indicate he was subjected to interrogation before being killed.
Security agencies and forensic evidence teams have initiated investigations to uncover the circumstances of the crime following the forensic examination of the body.
A Lebanese security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that preliminary forensic investigations revealed Surur was shot three times, but another forensic doctor was tasked due to conflicting information.
Forensic evidence teams are working to identify the type of weapon used and the exact time of death, the source affirmed.
Moreover, the source pointed out that the data suggests the crime was executed professionally by skilled individuals recruited through specific channels who meticulously monitored and tracked Surur.
Surur’s family is demanding the truth and accountability. They had lost contact with him a week before his death.
Lebanese MPs urged authorities to find the culprits. The US sanctioned Surur for allegedly transferring money from Iran to Hamas via Hezbollah.
US officials recently visited Beirut, urging Lebanon to stop money transfers to Hamas.



Qatar and Jordan Pledge Support to Syria

23 December 2024, Syria, Damascus: Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi (L) meets with Syria's new de facto ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa. (Petra/dpa)
23 December 2024, Syria, Damascus: Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi (L) meets with Syria's new de facto ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa. (Petra/dpa)
TT

Qatar and Jordan Pledge Support to Syria

23 December 2024, Syria, Damascus: Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi (L) meets with Syria's new de facto ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa. (Petra/dpa)
23 December 2024, Syria, Damascus: Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi (L) meets with Syria's new de facto ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa. (Petra/dpa)

Qatar is ready to invest in Syria's energy sector and ports, the de facto Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa said after meeting a senior Qatari official in Damascus on Monday, as his new administration widened contacts with Arab states.

Sharaa also received Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi, the first Arab foreign minister to visit Damascus since the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) toppled Bashar al-Assad two weeks ago. Safadi said Jordan was ready to help Syria rebuild.

The meetings further widened the diplomatic contacts of the new administration established after Sharaa's HTS, a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, led a decisive offensive that overthrew Assad after more than 13 years of war.

The end of Assad's rule has upended the geopolitics of the Middle East, dealing a major blow to his ally Iran and paving the way for other states to build new ties to a country at the crossroads of the region.

Türkiye, which long backed the Syrian opposition, was the first state to send its foreign minister to Damascus.

Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed Al-Khulaifi flew into Damascus on Monday aboard the first Qatar Airways flight to land there since Assad was toppled.

Sharaa, speaking to reporters as he stood next to Khulaifi, said that they had discussed the challenges of the coming period, and that he had invited Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to visit Syria.

"The Qatari side expressed its readiness for wide investments in Syria in many sectors, chief amongst them the energy sector in which they have great experience ... as well as the ports and airports," Sharaa said.

Khulaifi said Qatar, the world's third largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), would continue to "stand alongside our brothers in Syria at this time more than any other time".

"Syria and its people need support during this crucial phase which requires the concerted efforts of everyone, especially concerning the lifting of sanctions and the upcoming developmental projects," he said.

JORDAN WILL PROVIDE AID

Syria's stability is a key security concern for Jordan, which borders the country to the south.

Safadi said he agreed with Sharaa on cooperating to counter the smuggling of drugs and weapons from Syria to Jordan - a problem for years under Assad.

Safadi also noted that ISIS, with which Sharaa's group clashed earlier in the Syrian war, remained a threat.

"Our brothers in Syria also realize that this is a threat. God willing, we will all cooperate, not just Jordan and Syria, but all Arab countries and the international community, in fighting this scourge that poses a threat to everyone," he said.

"I focused on reconstruction efforts and Jordan will provide aid," Safadi said, adding that the new Syrian administration must have the opportunity to develop its plans.

There was no immediate statement from the Syrian side on the meeting.

Sharaa, who met senior US diplomats last week, severed ties with Al-Qaeda in 2016. He has said his primary focus is on reconstruction and achieving economic development and that he is not interested in engaging in any new conflicts.