Hezbollah Responds to Assassination of Martyr Fouad Shokor

By Al Mayadeen English

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon announces the beginning of its operation in response to the assassination of martyr Fouad Shokor, releasing three statements to mark the "first phase" of its retaliation.

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon – Hezbollah launched an "initial response" to the assassination of Commander Martyr Fouad Shokor at dawn Sunday, on the anniversary of Imam Hussein's Arbaeen, by launching a large number of drones deep into the occupied Palestinian territories.

In a statement, the Resistance clarified that the attack targeted a strategic Israeli military site, adding that details about the specific target "will be disclosed at a later time."

Simultaneously, the Resistance struck multiple sites, military barracks, and Iron Dome installations belonging to the occupation forces in northern occupied Palestine with a heavy barrage of missiles.

Hezbollah further stated that these military operations will continue for some time, with a comprehensive statement to be issued afterward, detailing the course and objectives of the operations.

The Resistance concluded its statement by emphasizing that it remains at the highest level of readiness, prepared to respond decisively to any Israeli transgression or aggression, and warning against severe and harsh consequences, particularly if civilians are targeted.

'Indeed We shall take vengeance upon the guilty'

Hezbollah released another statement that begins with a Quranic verse that states, "Indeed We shall take vengeance upon the guilty."

In its statement, Hezbollah confirmed that it had successfully completed the first phase of its response to the assassination of Martyr Shokor.

In this phase, Hezbollah targeted Israeli barracks and sites to facilitate the passage of attack drones towards their intended target deep within the occupied Palestinian territory. The drones successfully reached their destination as planned, according to the statement.

Secondly, the statement confirms that the number of Katyusha rockets fired exceeded 320, targeting enemy positions.

The statement concluded with a list of successful targets in the occupied Palestinian territory as part of the first phase of the response, which includes:

1. Meron Base

2. Naftali Ze'ev artillery position

3. Zaitoun Base

4. Zaoura artillery positions

5. Al-Sahel Base

6. Kila Barracks in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights

7. U.F. barracks in the Syrian Golan Heights

8. Nafah Base in the Syrian Golan Heights

9. Yardan Base in the Syrian Golan Heights

10. Ein Zivitim Base

11. Ramot Naftali Base

'Israel' misleading the public

Informed sources told Al Mayadeen that the Israeli occupation forces' claims of thwarting Hezbollah's operation are unfounded and are part of a broader effort to mislead the Israeli public. In fact, despite the Israeli occupation's heightened state of alert and the presence of military aircraft over Lebanese airspace throughout the night, Hezbollah’s missiles and drones successfully reached their designated targets.

The Resistance's retaliation involved the strategic use of drones to strike a crucial military target, while the simultaneous launch of 320 rockets was intended to overwhelm the Israeli occupation's Iron Dome and other defensive systems, according to the sources.

The Israeli narrative of preventing an attack involving over a thousand missiles, including precision-guided ones, is baseless and fabricated, the sources added.

Further, it has been confirmed that Hezbollah managed to achieve its objectives despite the Israeli occupation's reliance on substantial American intelligence and operational support. This success came after a month-long period of heightened Israeli alertness.

The Resistance's first official statement issued a stern warning to the Israeli occupation, cautioning against any targeting of Lebanese civilians. The statement highlighted that any such actions would provoke a severe and unforgiving response.

Operations concluded

In the wake of the military strikes, Hezbollah issued a third statement declaring that it had successfully launched all its attack drones at the designated times from their respective launch sites. The drones crossed the Lebanese-Palestinian border, targeting their intended objectives through multiple routes.

Hezbollah dismissed claims by the Israeli occupation that it had preemptively disrupted the operation and neutralized the attack as baseless and contrary to the facts on the ground. These claims will be addressed in detail later in a speech by Hezbollah Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, whose date will be set later on Sunday, the statement added.