The Lebanese Forces (LF) has called on the Lebanese state to clarify the circumstances surrounding the 2023 killing of party member Elias al-Hasrouni, after Israel announced that Hezbollah was responsible for his assassination.
Party sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the claim “must be confirmed or denied by the Lebanese state, as al-Hasrouni was a Lebanese citizen.”
The Israeli military said Friday that Hezbollah killed al-Hasrouni in August 2023, a death initially reported as a traffic accident.
LF sources said the state’s security agencies were forced to verify the new information, noting that the party had demanded an investigation from the outset.
They argued that the inquiry stalled because “Hezbollah prevented the judicial process from reaching a conclusion,” despite what they described as strong indications of the group’s involvement.
They added that Israel’s announcement now compels the state to issue a clear position confirming or denying the claim, or declaring that investigations are ongoing.
“Al-Hasrouni was a Lebanese citizen, and it is the state’s responsibility to expose his killers and secure justice,” the sources said.
Elias al-Hasrouni, 72, was a senior member of the Lebanese Forces, led by Samir Geagea. His body was found on Aug. 2, 2023 in Ain Ebel, a Christian-majority village in southern Lebanon, which is a Hezbollah is stronghold.
Local media initially reported that al-Hasrouni had died in a car crash. Days later, the Lebanese Forces said he had been abducted, beaten, and killed before his body was placed back in his car.
On Aug. 20, 2023, Geagea insisted that Hezbollah was behind his death, saying: “Our comrade was murdered; he did not die in an accident.”
In September, Geagea said repeated inquiries to security agencies produced one answer: the investigation could not advance because authorities were “being prevented” from doing so.
Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on X that al-Hasrouni, “known for his strong opposition to Hezbollah,” was assassinated by Unit 121, which he described as Hezbollah’s special operations and internal security arm.
According to Adraee, members of the unit ambushed al-Hasrouni near his home on the night of Aug. 1, 2023, abducted him, and killed him by poisoning and breaking his ribs. They then placed his body in his car and staged a crash to conceal the operation.
Adraee added that Unit 121 conducts assassinations targeting journalists, officers, politicians, and other critics of Hezbollah. He also noted that Salim Ayyash, identified as the unit’s commander, was convicted in 2020 by the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon for leading the team that assassinated former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
