Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, successfully infiltrated the inner workings of Hezbollah, tracking the movements and personal life of one of the group’s senior commanders, Fuad Shukr, for decades.
According to a recent report, Mossad became so deeply embedded in the terrorist group’s operations that it was aware of Shukr’s extramarital affairs, including his relationships with four different mistresses.
Sources with knowledge of the intelligence operations told the New York Times that Shukr, feeling guilty about his actions, sought the help of Hezbollah’s highest religious cleric, Hashem Safieddine, to resolve the situation. In an unorthodox move, Safieddine arranged four separate over-the-phone wedding ceremonies for Shukr and each of his mistresses.
Shukr, a co-founder of Hezbollah, was a key figure in the group’s command chain and had been a target for Mossad since the deadly 1983 Beirut bombings that killed 241 U.S. Marines. Mossad’s surveillance on Shukr intensified after the 2006 Lebanon War, with agents building an extensive profile on the commander.
His personal life, including his attempts to marry his four mistresses, was hidden from the public until 2024 when Shukr sought help from Safieddine to settle the matter.
The weddings, though arranged by Safieddine, reportedly did not last, and Shukr’s life would come to a tragic end soon after.
Following a missile attack in Majdal Shams in July, which killed dozens of Israelis, including schoolchildren, Shukr became a prime target for Israeli forces.
On July 30, an Israeli missile strike in the southern Beirut neighbourhood of Dahiyeh killed Shukr, who was lured from his hiding place by a phone call. Shukr died alongside one of his wives, two children, and two other women.
Lebanese officials confirmed Shukr’s death but did not immediately identify the other women killed in the strike. However, some Arabic media outlets reported that one of the women was one of Shukr’s mistresses. The attack also led to over 70 injuries among civilians in the area.
The day of Shukr’s assassination also saw the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was reportedly killed in an Israeli bombing while visiting Tehran.
