Israeli Military Claims Academic Killed in Beirut Strike Was Hezbollah Operative

The Israeli military stated that an academic killed in a drone strike on Thursday in Beirut was a Hezbollah operative.

The military identified the individual as Prof. Mortada Srour, claiming he was an expert in weapons manufacturing for the organization.

Srour, one of two academics who died in the strike, was employed as a chemistry lecturer at the Lebanese University campus located south of Beirut.

According to the military, Srour was the brother of Mohammad Srour, who was the commander of Hezbollah’s aerial unit and was killed in an Israeli strike in 2024.

The Israeli military further stated that Hezbollah's weapons manufacturing operatives function from various sites across Lebanon, aiming to enhance the group's capacity for self-supply of armaments.